Jordan lines up new designer

Eddie Jordan has strengthened his team for 2001

The Jordan team has given itself a boost for next year's Formula One season by securing the services of a new technical director.

The Arrows team's chief designer, Eghbal Hamidy, has agreed to switch to Jordan. The news ends a period of uncertainty that had taken the shine off Jordan's success in securing a works engine deal with respected manufacturer Honda for 2001.

Jordan has lost its highly-rated former design boss Mike Gascoyne to the Benetton team for next year, and has been forced to start work on its new car without him.

Iranian-born Hamidy is renowned as a top-flight aerodynamicist, a skill crucial in F1 car design, and has this year helped Arrows move up to a more competitive position. But Jordan will have to wait before he can start work, which will probably be in the new year.

He is on a fixed-term binding contract which runs well beyond the end of this year - everything else is non-factual at the moment

  Arrows spokesman

Hamidy resigned from Arrows on Monday but as he is still under contract will have to work out a period of 'gardening leave' to be negotiated between team owners Eddie Jordan and Tom Walkinshaw.

This is common practice in Formula 1 as teams seek to keep a close guard on their technical secrets.

Negotiations

Walkinshaw is likely to want to delay Hamidy joining Jordan for a time to prevent him having a significant input into the initial design of his rival's 2001 car, which will be unveiled late in January.

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But if Hamidy joins his new team in the new year he should be able to make changes before the start of the season.

An Arrows spokesman said: "He is on a fixed-term binding contract which runs well beyond the end of this year. Everything else is non-factual at the moment."

Hamidy's move may also help speed up negotiations for Gascoyne to join Benetton. Jordan and Benetton boss Flavio Briatore have so far been unable to reach an agreement on when the Englishman should start work.

Gascoyne is expected to start at Benetton rather sooner than Hamidy at Jordan, as he has been barred from working on the new car since early July.

That came after Honda objected to his being involved with its new engine, fearing he could take the Japanese company's secrets to rivals Renault, which owns Benetton.