DAMON HILL will revive an old partnership in negotiations for him to join the Jordan Peugeot team prove successful in the wake of Frank William's decision to dispense with his services.

It was confirmed yesterday that the Jordan team had already held talks with the world championship points leader and would be doing so again in the near future. However, Eddie Jordan seemed to play down his team's interest in signing Hill.

Yesterday Jordan's commercial manager, Ian Phillips, admitted that Hill could be the ideal candidate to help raise the team's profile and please both Benson and Hedges, its key sponsor, as well as its French engine suppliers.

"We are amazed that Damon has been released by Williams and, up to the weekend, hadn't even considered he would be available for 1997," said Phillips. "Now that he is, we must reappraise our situation and possible plans."

But Eddie Jordan was keeping his options open. "We're in no rush," said Jordan. "I think in a week or two there will be a few good drivers on the market and then we can decide."

On Hill's position Jordan said: "I spoke to Damon about his position last week - but it was more as a friend. He wanted some advice. My understanding is that a deal with Frentzen was done by Frank (Williams) last year.

"On our own position you could look at who may be on the market - maybe Coulthard or Hakkinen has to leave McLaren to make way for Ralf Schumacher. The position will be clear in a week or two," he said.

Hill drove for Jordan's Formula 3000 team throughout 1991, six years after the Irishman gave him his first Formula Three test outing in one of his cars.

Of course, Hill's value to any new team would be dramatically devalued if he fails to clinch the world championship which he currently leads by 13 points from his Williams Renault team mate Jacques Villeneuve. He was reputedly asking for £5 million for a one year retainer when his negotiations with Frank Williams foundered, although his current employer has made it clear that money was not a problem. Driving for Jordan, he would have to accept substantially less.

The Jordan team is currently in its sixth season of F1 competition but lies a distant fifth in the constructors' championship table after 13 of the 16 races.

At the start of the year Jordan said it was an absolute priority to win a grand prix this season and that nothing less would be satisfactory. But after a promising start, with Rubens Barrichello scoring fourth places in the Argentinian and European Grand Prixs, the team's form has steadily faded.

Now the team is poised to replace both Barrichello and their second driver Martin Brundle. Hill, whose entire F1 reputation was founded on the considerable talent he displayed as the Williams team's test and development driver in 1992, could be just the tonic Jordan needs to fine tune its competitive edge.

Phillips has also confirmed Jordan's interest in Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher's brother. "Yes, we want him. Not because his name is Schumacher, but because he is incredibly fast and could be champion," said Phillips.

Should a deal with Jordan fail to materialise, Hill's prospects of forging a deal with another established team seem minimal. Mercedes motor sport manager Norbert Haug has played down any link between Hill and the McLaren team which already has Hill's former team mate Coulthard on its driving roster. Two British drivers in the same team is said to make little business sense to either McLaren or Mercedes.

That leaves the fledgeling Stewart Grand Prix team as Hill's only realistic second option. However, they said last week they could not afford Hill.