Alesi may yet stick with Jordan

Jean Alesi yesterday said he is still talking to Eddie Jordan about his plans for life after Formula One. The French driver stunned the sport yesterday when he announced that he would retire from the sport after this weekend's season closing Japanese Grand Prix.

Minutes earlier, Jordan had publicly revealed that it had signed Japanese driver Takuma Sato as its second driver for 2002. Yesterday, though, Alesi admitted that he hadn't considered his next move and was still in talks with Eddie Jordan about his driving future.

"At the moment I don't know exactly what I'm going to do," said Alesi. I'm talking seriously with Eddie Jordan - we have some plans together. "It's time to stop, and even if it's what I love most in my life - motor racing - after 200 grands prix you need to give the place to the young drivers and I'm glad Honda is happy to have the Japanese Formula Three champion driving for them next year."

What role Jordan could engineer for Alesi is unclear. He may wish to install Alesi as test driver with the team, either alongside or in place of Ricardo Zonta, though that is hardly likely to satisfy either party, with Alesi craving competition and Jordan well aware that Alesi has never been regarded as the best at technical feedback in testing.

Beyond that, the US CART series has been highlighted as a possible destination for the 37-year-old veteran.

The Frenchman admitted his move to Jordan was a gamble and one which he knew came with risks. "When I joined the Jordan team I knew I had the chance not to drive next year," he said.

"But I decided to take the risk anyway because I understood that it was a very good opportunity for me to finish on the best way as possible and actually that's what has happened. In the four races the whole team has made me enjoy a lot what I was about to lose - the good feeling, the way to drive and the way to show the results with the team.

"But I understand it's time for me stop," he added. "In this business you can wait until the moment you can't drive anymore and you look ridiculous. So I will enjoy my race from tomorrow until Sunday. I will try, because I'm not young anymore, to drive as I was driving in 1989 for this last race. But it's time to stop."

Meanwhile, Honda boss Takashi Nishizawa said he was delighted that Jordan have signed Takuma Sato to drive alongside Giancarlo Fisichella next year.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate Sato as the first Japanese driver to win the Formula Three championship overseas," he said. "He's also to be congratulated for finding his way into Formula One, so we at Honda are particularly happy because he's a graduate of Honda's racing academy so we hope that more will follow."

Sato's discovery of a route into Formula One was along a path many believe had been hacked out by Honda itself, the Japanese company more than keen to see its supply of works engines to Jordan and BAR matched by the PR value of a Japanese driver at either team.

Prising Sato from the development driver contract he was under at BAR is believed to have been a Honda-engineered move.

Nishizawa, though, denied that Sato's presence at Jordan would now give the Irish team the upper hand in its and BAR's dealings with an engine supplier that is also believed to want to concentrate on one team after 2002.

"They (BAR and Jordan) both have equal status," he insisted. "There won't be any difference."

The Honda boss did, however, confirm that, as has been the case in the past, the company has developed a 'Suzuka Special' engine for this weekend in a bid to boost its teams' chances at the company's home grand prix.

The team are currently tied with their Honda rivals on 17 points, with Swiss team Sauber five points ahead in fourth place. Fourth place is, according to Jordan, still the team's final target, but given Jordan's form that looks a forlorn prospect.

Beating out BAR would at least bring some small relief to what has been a season of relentlessly dark moments.