Formula One news

Jordan predicting more exciting races

Former team owner Eddie Jordan welcomes the new rules imposed by the FIA, stating that the cost-cutting measures are achievable, although careful planning will be required by the teams. The Irishman also feels that the new regulation for winning titles will significantly spice up the action at the front of the grid.

"We've had too many occasions with guys sitting back in second or third place because the person in front of them isn't in a position to win a championship," Jordan explained to talkSPORT. "This won't happen anymore. It's first across the post and I think that's a good thing; I think it will mean a different strategy - the team principals will have to think again about how they're going to approach the race because the mindset is now 'How are we going to win the race?' as opposed to 'How many points can we get from this grid position?"

Fifth place was enough for Hamilton to claim the title in Brazil last year

With two cars each, in recent years teams have often approached races with the principal thought of scoring solid points or podium finishes, although Jordan expects to see less of such plans in 2009: "I think you'll see a lot of different strategies, drivers will be 'on it' a lot more and they'll be more honest. By that I don't mean that they're dishonest, but if you're second and don't really have to pass for two extra points you'll say 'Why put myself into jeopardy? I'm going to get eight points for finishing second, so if I don't pass him it doesn't really matter'. I think it's good for the sport and I think you'll see a lot more action at the sharp end of the race."

The governing body has also introduced significant cost-cutting measures, due to start in 2010, which will present teams with the option of either following the current rules or being granted technical freedom along with the cost of a £30 million budget cap. "People in sport are devious," Jordan continued, "they only think about winning and whether it costs more or less they'll find ways of clouding it over, or whatever. I don't know how this cap of £30 million is going to be controlled; take Ferrari, who own their own racetrack - how are you going to control what the cost of that racetrack is? And to take Ferrari for another example, they could be out of business straight away because they pay that sort of money for Räikkönen's salary alone."

Jordan's own time in F1 saw him mostly in the mid-field, fighting with teams such as Sauber, Benetton and Arrows, who all had smaller budgets at their disposal in comparison with big guns McLaren and Ferrari. "Personally, I think £30 million is achievable," he admitted, "but there's going to be a number of redundancies cut-backs. I can see why the FIA is doing it because at £30 million there's going to be lots of Jordan-like teams coming into the sport because they can afford it - what they can't afford is where it's got at the moment with teams spending four and five-hundred million pounds;

Jordan (right) with Damon Hill

it's out of control and someone needs to draw it back, so full marks to the FIA although I do think £30 million is very severe in comparison. But when your mind gets around it and you're able to achieve it you'll say 'Why didn't we do this in the past?', 'Why did we waste all that money?', 'Why did we pay those drivers all that money?', 'Why did we do so much testing?' At the end of the day, testing does nothing to entertain the public. It's absolute nonsense, it's like major football teams playing behind closed doors - it just does not make any sense."

Despite being sure that new 'wins for glory' scheme, Jordan also pointed out that it was vital to retain the use of the points system: "I'm particularly pleased to see the points being retained. The good thing is for midfield teams to know how much money they'll get for the rest of the year.

"As for those at the sharp end, people say Lewis Hamilton wouldn't have won last year but that's not true, because it's different and you're racing under a different set of rules. Who knows how the mindset works? Lewis entered that final race knowing he just had to finish fifth - that was wrong; he should have gone into there knowing he had to win, and then he would have won. That's my view. I also think the situation when he got penalised at Spa may not have occurred - people will do things in a different way to achieve a set of rules and regulations which are currently in place, and I think you'll see a much more exciting set of rules and racing this year."

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