Honda threaten to take engines from Jordan

History may be about to repeat itself, because Honda is considering cancelling its engine supply deal with the Jordan team at the end of this season despite having a firm contract in place for 2003.

If it does so the Japanese company will again put on public display the ruthless streak which saw it ditch Williams at the end of 1987 after the British team had won back-to-back constructors' titles with Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet driving.

Takeo Fukui, the president of Honda's research and development department, put in a rare appearance at the recent San Marino grand prix and signalled his acute disappointment with the progress of his company's latest V10 engine.

Neither Jordan nor British American Racing, who also use Honda engines, have yet scored a point this season, but Jacques Villeneuve's BAR took seventh place at Imola, the best placing for a Honda-powered car in the first four races of the year.

Fukui told Autosport: "All our efforts will be focused on F1 racing. That is part of our strategy. We signed a three-year contract with Jordan last year. But we are constantly looking at the racing situation and as things currently stand we have to look into reconsidering this agreement."

Despite Williams having a firm contract for 1988, Honda cancelled the deal and instead provided engines for the McLarens driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. "With hindsight I suppose one could have taken a more aggressive legal stance with Honda," Frank Williams said at the time, "but a settlement was reached which, again with hindsight, was grossly inadequate."

Honda is now considering throwing its efforts exclusively behind BAR in an attempt to rekindle its glory days, which saw it power to six consecutive constructors' championships between 1986 and 1991.

Neither of Honda's current partners have had much to shout about in terms of results in recent years. Jordan's form has been steadily declining since Heinz-Harald Frentzen won two grands prix for the team in 1999 and BAR have consistently failed to deliver despite having received in excess of £300m in sponsorship from British American Tobacco since their debut at the start of the same season.

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