MOTOR SPORT: Eddie Jordan yesterday insisted that Jordan would continue its relationship with Honda in 2003 despite constant rumours that the team will lose the support of the Japanese manufacturer at the end of this season.

Latest paddock rumours in Magny Cours ahead of tomorrow's French Grand Prix suggest that the Irishman has sealed a deal with Jaguar engine manufacturers Cosworth for a year's supply of the engines that will be housed in next year's Jaguar R4 and that Jordan would then switch to Toyota power on a longer deal in 2004. Jordan, however, angrily denied the rumours and insisted it is his intention to fulfil the final year of the three-year deal he began with Honda in 2001.

"Are you saying will I be using Honda next year - the answer is yes," Jordan said. "I have already said that on a number of occasions. Please make your mind up. Is it Cosworth, is it Honda, is it Toyota, is it Mercedes or BMW - this is just becoming ridiculous.

"We're trying to concentrate on the team and getting points again and every time we bring our head above the parapet it seems to be to talk about engines and engines and engines.

"I'll say in my clearest possible English, I have a three-year contract of which I am in the second year. I have a contract with Honda for next year and Jordan is in a position where it does not break contracts and would envisage being with Honda next year. I can't make it any clearer than that.

"I would suggest that you are speaking to the wrong person. If you are that concerned about the issue then I would suggest that you put it on record with Honda because my view is that we will be using Honda engines next year."

Jordan's comments, though, have a heavy tone of brinkmanship about them. Honda has dropped heavy hints throughout the season that it would drop one of its two partner teams at the end of the 2002 season in order to concentrate its F1 efforts. With BAR already enjoying a close engineering relationship with Honda via the company's input into chassis design at the team's Brackley headquarters, and the recent appointment of former BAR senior management employee Otmar Szafnauer as vice-president of racing at Honda, Jordan look to be increasingly isolated in the battle for the Japanese company's affections.

The relevance of yesterday's comments perhaps lies in Jordan audibly distancing himself from a breakdown in relations with Honda, insisting that while he would honour the three-year deal, it would be up to Honda to sever connections, a divorce that would cost the motor company a hefty one-shot alimony payment.

Jordan hinted at the stress such a divorce would cause his struggling team and that the damage suffered by the Irish team would be significant.

"This is a case where it is almost too late if there was a change of engines. I would have thought that would have given you some assurance that perhaps the Honda relationship is ongoing and will provide the engines for next year. If we were to go to somebody to find an engine for next year there would be some damaging time-frames involved there."

Those damaging timeframes, the cost of investing in a new supply of engines and the expense of designing next year's car would all, of course, be offset by a significantly lustrous golden handshake from Honda.

On track yesterday, Jordan and its Honda-powered drivers had a productive day, with Giancarlo Fisichella finishing 12th, though almost 1.5 seconds adrift of timesheet topper David Coulthard. Takuma Sato ended the second one-hour session in 15th place.

"We're still struggling a little bit with set-up and grip, but it doesn't look too bad," said Fisichella. "We have a few new things on the car and we will have more power available for qualifying so I'm a bit more optimistic than normal. If we do well a top 10 grid result is possible."

The extra power comes from a further development of the new Honda unit introduced at the Nurburgring a month ago. Both Jordan and BAR will use the engine in qualifying and according to a Honda spokesperson the new powerplant could also be used in Sunday's race.

Sato, too, was pleased with his first attempt at the technically demanding Magny Cours circuit. "We're in good shape today, with no major mechanical troubles at all," said the Japanese driver, whose form has been steadily improving since he scored his first top 10 finish in three months at the Canadian GP in June.

"It was my first outing here in a F1 car and I found the circuit very smooth and good fun to drive. We had good pace straight away and our (Bridgestone) tyres look quite competitive. I'm pretty optimistic."

More optimistic still will be Eddie Irvine. After introducing a redesigned Jaguar R3 to a deep sigh of disappointment at Silverstone a fortnight ago, Irvine has managed to get some testing miles with the new car under his belt at Monza last week and yesterday took the now familiar car to sixth position.

"The R3 feels much better around here than it did at Silverstone and the three-day test at Monza definitely helped," he said.