Eddie Jordan used the traditional Friday morning British Press Breakfast in the  Jordan motorhome to explain this week's restructuring of the team and his thoughts on the challenges facing Formula One.  With two dozen senior British media present he told them that the cost cutting measures implimented at Jordan were necessary given the current climate and his belief that the sports sponsorship industry would remain unsettled for the foreseeable future.  His comments, delivered with clarity and evident passion, left the media in no doubt about the fact that Jordan is determined to tackle the issues facing Formula One, as well as the current challenges being faced by the team.

"We all have an obligation to ensure that Formula One as we know it survives in the long term so decisions have to be made now in order to safeguard that," he commented.  "I have a responsibility to my family, management, staff and sponsors, as well as to the sport, to ensure that Jordan forges ahead.  Teams should not be spending more money than they have coming in, and they should  spend what they have wisely to give the best possible value.  I wish Alain Prost was here because what happened to him is not good for anyone, and I certainly am never going to allow anything similar to occur at Jordan.  We are not, and never will be, in that situation."

Jordan confirmed that the redundancies announced this week included some of his most loyal employees and friends, but said that it was important everyone realised that the cost reductions were across the board, from the top to the bottom of the company.  He went on to explain his vision for the future, confirming that he would play a much more hands-on role.

"The team of people I have around me are capable of bringing Jordan future success.  We also have fantastically strong sponsors.  I am relishing the prospect of getting stuck into the day to day issues again and making the decisions that need to be made, just as we did in the past when we enjoyed success."

When questioned about recent rumours concerning the possibility of Honda withdrawing its support from Jordan, his response was clear.  "We have a firm contract with Honda running through next year.  Some of you have been saying that Honda is about to run away from us, but I don't know that to be the case.  Honda are a fabulous partner with very skilled people and we are all working hard, on the car and on the engine, to improve results."

It is clear that Jordan's prudent response to the current economic climate has captured the mood within the industry.  When asked about FIA proposals to reduce costs further Jordan was emphatic:  "There are big teams in Formula One who don't want change, and there are small teams who are fighting to survive.  But it's not going to do anyone any good if the small teams disappear.  We also don't know what will happen in the future to the manufacturer backed teams.  Any time there has been a manufacturer backed series they have come in for a time, then gone out again, and it's right that they should do that to match their marketing needs at the time.  But that means that Formula One needs the independent, entrepreneur led teams to still be around, just as they have done for 50 years with people like Frank Williams, or myself or Arrows.  So we need to find a balance, with no favouritism towards one side or the other, the manufacturer owned teams and the independents, and it's clear that if we are all reasonable people that a solution can be found."

"It's total madness that teams are spending more money on testing than on racing.  In testing there are no spectators, no media, no TV exposure - no value to anyone.  But if we used the Fridays at Grands Prix for testing there would be value and enjoyment for everyone and a better use of resources.  Some people say the big teams will suffer from this, yet in 50 years of Formula One the big teams have always been the most succssful, and the little teams at the back, with a few in the middle mixing things up from time to time.  So whatever the rules, whether you have 1 engine or 50 engines per weekend, 4 tyres or 200 tyres, the pecking order won't change yet there are major cost savings to be had."

Jordan's comments will certainly fuel the debate about the future direction of Formula One.  His restructured team faces the immediate issue of tackling this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix and Jordan spoke to all his staff at the track prior to the start of practice.