With team launch season and test programmes underway, Jordan has been quietly keeping busy with its design and build programme for the 2005 season.  The team is working towards a first track test for the EJ15 in February, with a long term development programme to take the car's performance forward throughout the season.
 
Mark Smith, Jordan's Technical Director explains, "It's been something of a race against time for us during the winter, given the short notice we had for the engine supply and various other challenges that have presented themselves.  Jordan currently has to operate within certain constraints that are not necessarily the same for other teams but I believe our circumstances will change in the future which should help us to improve quite significantly.  In the immediate term we are focussing on the work in hand so everybody in the team has been giving their all and with the good faith and support of our network of suppliers we have been making progress.
 
"We have planned two full weeks of testing during February and that is likely to begin with an interim version of the EJ15 in the first instance so we can develop systems relating to the engine installation before we implement our full race specification for the Australian Grand Prix.  We have been very impressed with Toyota's support and we enjoy a genuinely good working relationship with them."
 
"The EJ15 is essentially a development of the EJ14 with a Toyota engine installation, and to the new regulations.  Once we are able to move forward from this start point, the plan is to look at a significant development mid season.  I would be very cautious about expectations for the first races of 2005 but I am confident that we can start really doing something once the season is underway so don't be hasty in writing us off!"