Top teams putting F1 in pits, claims Jordan
Jordan fears that the financial dominance of the largest teams could drive smaller outfits such as Jordan and Minardi to the wall and cause untold damage to F1 as a whole, robbing it of much of its entertainment value.
He said: "We are not the clowns of the business, we are deadly serious about what we do. But the truth is we don't have the money to compete on a level playing field. Instead we try and provide our own brand of entertainment as do Minardi.
"We bring a bit of rock and roll to the paddock. The sport needs a human element in it and that's what we provide. We give Formula One the David and Goliath battle and, occasionally, we slay the big guys."
Jordan frequently defy their financial disadvantages and are one of only four teams along with the giants Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Williams to have won a race since 1998.
They tasted success in the Brazilian Grand Prix this season as Giancarlo Fisichella mastered the wet conditions and the team's pit-stop strategy came up trumps.
But their charismatic owner warns that they may not be able to carry on punching above their weight and F1 risks losing a valuable breeding ground for new talent.
"F1 desperately needs teams like Jordan, who are entrepreneurs, because the way we operate has made us the darlings of the pit lane.
"And look at the young drivers we have helped bring into the sport.
"We gave Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello their first breaks.
"The big teams feed off the small ones like Jordan. While that is understandable, they still exert other demands on us which I find unfair."
Jordan reckons that there needs to be a more even distribution of revenue, with the big teams lapping up the cream of the sponsorship deals and taking the biggest share of TV money.
He said: "We are not looking for hand-outs but just a fair share of the cake. Teams like Minardi and Jordan are having to put their hands in their pockets to find £13 million a year for engines.
"It means we don't have a lot left to spend on developing the car. The sort of shock results we spring every now and then is what keeps the sport alive and exciting."
