Mansell takes a step nearer to Jordan at Barcelona

NIGEL MANSELL yesterday took another tentative step towards a full blown grand prix comeback with the announcement by the Jordan team that he will test one of their Peugeot engined Formula One cars at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya next week.

The choice of venue must be seen as ironic, for it was at Barcelona that Mansell had his last race in a McLaren Mercedes 18 months ago before leaving the team after a comeback fiasco lasting only two races.

Both Mansell and Jordan are playing down speculation that the two day test, on December 11th and 12th, will be followed by a firm contract for the 43 year old Englishman to partner Ralf Schumacher in next year's world championship programme.

"It is 20 years since Eddie and I raced against each other in Formula Ford," said Mansell. "We are old friends, and I'm delighted to have this opportunity to reacquaint myself with a Formula One car.

For his part, Jordan added: "I have asked Nigel several times over the years to drive one of my cars, but the timing wasn't right. Now it is. There is no commitment from either party beyond this test. Nigel is Britain's most successful driver of all time and it is an honour for everyone at Jordan Grand Prix to give him this test."

Mansell's outing in the Jordan Peugeot could well herald the third curtain call for the man whose Formula One career began 16 years ago at the wheel of a third Lotus entry in Austria. He scored the first of his 31 grand prix victories at Brands Hatch in the 1985 Grand Prix of Europe at the wheel of a Williams Honda and eventually won the championship seven years later in a Renault powered Williams.

He left for the Indycar scene at the end of 1982, then returned to guest for Williams in the wake of Ayrton Senna's fatal accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Passed over by Williams for a regular drive in 1995, he then entered into the short lived partnership with McLaren Mercedes.

After such a bruising experience, it is questionable whether Mansell will be prepared to put his reputation on the line if he is not convinced that the Jordan Peugeot could be a worthwhile proposition. Yet with Damon Hill relegated to the fledgling Arrows Yamaha squad, it may just be that Mansell judges that a comeback in 1997 could enable him to revive flickering memories of his glory days as Britain's leading grand prix contender.

Mansell would probably want around £5 million to consider making a comeback. But that should not be a problem for the Benson & Hedges backed outfit who were prepared to pay current champion Hill around £4 million.

The cigarette giants, who linked up with Jordan last year, are reportedly keen on signing up a name guaranteed to increase media exposure after losing out on Hill to the Tom Walkinshaw led team.