FPRXR-6

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/


Eddie ****** announced in Hungary this morning that his team will be using Ford engines for the next three years. The move has been widely expected for some time now with Jaguar boss Niki Lauda adding more weight to the stories on Friday when he revealed that a three- year deal had been offered to the Irishman. It appears as if the engines will be supplied to the team for free in a similar situation to the one he was enjoying with Honda.

****** said he had reached an agreement with Ford to use Cosworth engines for the next three years starting in 2003 and the team will be known as ******-Ford. This means that they will now be going head to head with the Jaguar team who use the same engines.

"We are very proud that ****** and Ford and Cosworth will be working together for the next three years or so," said a very happy Eddie ****** who described it as a very big day for the team.

Although Honda still had a year's deal left with ******, it is believed the team boss went looking elsewhere because Honda wanted to be paid to supply its engines for 2003. Ford's offer of supplying their reputedly powerful engines for free to ****** must therefore be seen as a major coup. A free works engine deal is regarded as a valuable head-start in the Formula One paddock.

Cosworth had been supplying the Arrows team with engines until the team hit financial trouble. It barely made the three races in July and is not participating in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Arrows could face fines from organisers and lose financial benefits from the sports governing body, the FIA.

kinobi

sounds very suss. just have a read the ITV-f1 article very interesting indeed. the mind boggles. bit of a worry cuz its sounds like there will be two different development programs going on at Cosworth whci would cost lots a mulha which goes against the grain that the big tossers in detroit want to CUT costs........


****** PULL OFF FORD COUP
2002-08-18 12:00:00- ITV-f1.com
"****** have signed a shock three-year deal to run works Ford engines from 2003.

The team will be known as ******-Ford and the deal marks a superb coup for Eddie ****** as his team will go head-to-head with the ‘works’ Ford F1 team Jaguar Racing.

Ford have always maintained that Jaguar would be the manufacturers main focus in F1 and the Blue Oval would not re-appear in grand prix racing as a brand in its own right. However, Jordan’s deal directly contradicts this and must call into question the future of the Jaguar F1 team.

According to Eddie ****** the contracts for the deal were only signed on Saturday night

He said: "We are very proud that ****** and Ford and Cosworth will be working together for the next three years or so.

"We worked with Cosworth as a customer in 1991 and we thought we would get a Ford participation in those early days, but maybe we were a bit too naive.

"Finally Ford and ourselves have eventually got together, which is fantastic. I think we should all rejoice a day when Ford publicly announce they are coming back into Formula 1."

****** maintain that there was never any chance that the team would be without a works engine deal for 2003.

"There was never a question of ****** not getting a manufacturer," ****** said. "It was either Honda or it was Ford. It was never Mugen and it was never directly a Cosworth deal. I mean, we would have stayed where we were – that is not the situation.

"What you see racing next year will be a ******-Ford. On that car will be blue ovals and the name of the engine is a Ford Cosworth RS, which is in line with Ford’s new range of cars coming out. It will be a new, evolved engine with its own dedicated technical people inside Cosworth, exclusive to ******. The engine type will be the RS1. In terms of the Cosworth contract, it is a partnership. It’s not signed with ******, it is signed ****** with Ford."

Honda announced earlier that they were calling a halt to their engine supply deal with ******. Instead, the Japanese manufacturer will concentrate on supplying BAR exclusively.

The deal is a massive boost for ****** as the Ford-Cosworth V10 is recognised as being one of the best engines in F1. The fact that the engines will be free will also allow ****** to spend money on car development as well as keeping hold of the-highly talented, but expensive, Giancarlo Fisichella.

However, the deal is a massive blow to Jaguar Racing and its team boss Niki Lauda. As recently as Friday, Lauda admitted that ****** could use Cosworth engines in 2003 - but denied that they would be badged as Fords.

"Cosworth, because of the Arrows situation, made (******) an offer for Cosworth engines for a three-year contract," said Lauda. Now it's up to Eddie to decide between Honda and Cosworth.

"If he wants to dump his engine and go into the Cosworth engine or not, it's up to him. He has a proposal from Cosworth for a three-year engine deal."

It’s possible that the ****** may have negotiated the deal with Ford’s management behind Niki Lauda’s back. If this is the case it could have major repercussions for Lauda’s future at Jaguar."

rallyman

Could this in some way be due to the fact that Ford is in financial difficulties? Or is there some other reason behind the move? Hmm....I don't see the financial benefits since Ford is providing it for free. Maybe they want the name "Ford" to be out there on the F1 track (even if it is under the "******" banner)?

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