With rumours persisting that Jordan may replace Damon Hill before the end of the season, the Englishman has been told that his future with the team still rests in his own hands.

Prior to last weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, rumours had been rife that if Jordan were to secure third place in the championship by the following race, the European Grand Prix, Hill could well be replaced by new signing Jarno Trulli, if the Italian could be prised from his current team Prost.

On Sunday, Hill's team-mate, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, scored a maximum 10 points and with the team now 27 points ahead of nearest rivals with just three races to go, the likelihood of Hill seeing out the rest of the season has lessened again. However, despite the latest lowering of his stock, Jordan's joint managing director Trevor Foster said that the decision to stay or go is still ultimately Hill's.

"We have to see what Damon wants to do," said Foster. "The situation is as it was in Silverstone. He has said that he wants to do his best to help the team to third place in the championship but he may feel that this is it and decide to stop now, I don't know. We're completely in Damon's hands.

"At the end of the day it's his decision as to whether he stops and he'll be talking with Eddie on that."

Hill is almost certain to race in a fortnight's time at the Nurburgring, but it is still possible that the journey to the Far East for the last two races, in Malaysia and Japan, may be too long a road for the veteran driver, who is 39 on Friday. Foster admitted, however, that should Hill decide to leave, the options open to Jordan are currently bleak.

"There are not really any options out there," he said, before adding that he would like to see Hill race on until the final round at Suzuka.

"I know Damon has had a very difficult year but I still believe that if we can finish the season all together it will be the best thing for Jordan Grand Prix," he continued.

"But, if he doesn't feel he can finish the year then obviously we need to look at other alternatives and in that case it's really down to Eddie to see what we can do in the three races remaining."

The alternative being consistently ground through the rumour mill, is that Prost's Trulli will be freed from his contract if the French outfit can in turn put their own new signing, recently crowned F3000 champion Nick Heidfeld, into their own car in Kuala Lumpur.

While the driver switch has obvious attractions for both teams, it still remains unlikely that Trulli will be Hill's replacement should he part company with Jordan.

While Hill's future remains in doubt, joint championship leader Eddie Irvine's prospects for 2000 will finally be cemented this afternoon. The Irishman, whose sixth place finish at Monza put him in joint command of the drivers' championship table with arch-rival Mika Hakkinen, will today be confirmed as the lead driver for the new Jaguar team next season.

Stewart boss Jackie Stewart will confirm Irvine's switch from Ferrari at the Frankfurt motor show, where the Ford-owned team will also unveil the new Jaguar-branded livery. But while Stewart and Ford trumpet the reputed £6 million recruitment of the Ferrari refugee, their new recruit will not be present. Irvine will instead be pounding out laps at Ferrari's Mugello test track, attempting to iron out the problems that plagued the team throughout last weekend.