MOTOR RACING: The field in the race for the second seat at Jordan in 2003 narrowed by one yesterday as last season's second driver Takuma Sato was released by the team to sign a three-year contract with BAR, where he will become test and reserve driver for the coming season.

Sato's hopes on retaining his drive with Jordan next season had rested on his ability to come up with a personal sponsor package from his native Japan, a criteria that has become the yardstick by which cash-strapped Jordan is measuring candidates.

Sato's manager, Andrew Gilbert-Scott, admitted that while Sato's appeal to corporate Japan had been improved by his fifth-place finish in the final race of the past season at Suzuka, the reality was that the current economic climate both in Japan and globally had mitigated against the former British F3 champion.

"We have to take into account that Japan is in an incredible economic situation and the stock market is continuing to go down, so we have to accept all these realities of the world," he said. "The decision to join BAR is a very good one, a very exciting one and the very best thing that Taku could be doing."

Sato admitted that slipping back into a testing role appears a retrograde step but added that he is hopeful of a race drive in 2004.

"It's a real shame of course that I will not race for Jordan next year, but I fully understand the situation now and I leave the team on good terms," said the Japanese. "They boosted me a lot and we achieved a lot. It was a fantastic experience with Jordan, but we had to find the next opportunity with BAR.

"Obviously going back to being a test driver is not ideal, but I will be developing a car that I could be racing in 2004, which will be good preparation. And who knows, there might even be a chance to race in 2003 as I am the reserve race driver."

Sato's chances of landing a race seat at BAR are more than good.

Number one driver Jacques Villeneuve's contract with the struggling Honda-powered team runs out at the end of the 2002 season and relations between the Canadian and team principal David Richards have been strained for some time.

Add to that the fact that Honda-backed Sato will come a lot cheaper than the estimated $12 million per season Villeneuve receives and the Japanese looks a shoo-in to be partnering Jenson Button in 2004.

Richard's yesterday dropped a heavy hint to that effect, claiming that a newly-motivated Villeneuve would be an exciting prospect for other teams in 2004

"I'm totally convinced that Jacques's performance next year is going to be very different from the last few years, when he is given a car that he can use to full advantage," he said.

"He appears very motivated and excited about the challenge, and I believe he's going to be very much in the frame as a sought-after driver by the end of the year."

At Jordan, meanwhile, with one runner having dropped out of contention the second-seat picture becomes only marginally less opaque.

Apart from a short press release thanking Sato for his input over the past season no hint was given as to when an announcement regarding a partner for Giancarlo Fisichella will be made.

Sato's release has again boosted Eddie Irvine to the front of the pack, with sponsor Benson and Hedges still believed to be firmly behind moves to re-install the former Jaguar driver at the Irish team. Irvine's prospects have been bolstered also by Jordan's loss of title sponsor Deutsche Post.

The team insists that it has cut its 2003 budgetary cloth to fit the loss of the German company's sponsorship but the rumoured $23 million hit delivered to the team is still a bitter blow.

With B&H still the team's best bet for a return to title sponsorship next year, succumbing to the tobacco company's desire to have publicity-friendly Irvine at the team may be Jordan's best option.

Irvine still has to fight off late challenges from a host of South American challengers however. Former Arrows driver Enrique Bernoldi, former Sauber pilot Felippe Massa and even former Jordan tester Ricardo Zonta have been mentioned as possible partner to Fisichella as all are believed to be able to bring hefty personal sponsorships to the table.

Bernoldi's charge may be fading before the final fence, however. Rumours yesterday suggested that the Brazilian has lost the estimated $5 million backing he had enjoyed from drinks company Red Bull while at Arrows. Backers for Massa and Zonta, meanwhile, have yet to be identified though both are still believed to be financially alluring to Jordan.

Strangely, an increasingly strong outside bet appears to be current BAR tester Anthony Davidson. The young Briton, who raced twice for Minardi last season, is financially well supported and his nationality would be a sop to B&H. The problem for Jordan is that Davidson's racing stock is low.

Convincingly despatched by Sato when the pair raced in F3, Davidson's test times at BAR have proved unconvincing and his two F1 races this year - at the Hungaroring and Spa Francorchamps - were less than inspiring.

Yesterday, while not specifying Jordan, BAR boss Richards admitted he had been trying to place Davidson with a Formula One team.

"We have been trying to place him in a race seat for next season," he said. "Those options are, to my knowledge, still open, and I'm meeting Anthony later this week to talk it through with him. But if those options don't come to fruition, there will always be a testing role for him back with us at BAR."