Jordan dismisses Hill threat

(11-Jul-98) - Damon Hill's team boss Eddie Jordan has dismissed the threat
from the former world champion that he is ready to quit the sport at the
end of the year if he cannot get his hands on a competitive car.

Jordan, who is hoping that Hill can end his season-long points drought at
Silverstone on Sunday, believes Hill's threat was just part of a ploy to
boost his salary for next year.

"Grand Prix drivers are artful negotiators," said Jordan,
following Hill's claim that he is prepared to retire if he believes there
is no chance of him running at the front of the grid again.

"If you go back into the history of the sport all race drivers seem to
come out with similar kind of lines at this time of the year," said
the Irishman. "The idea of him not continuing is totally inconsistent
with the conversations I am having with him."

The accusation came just as Hill and the Jordan team seemed to have put
their early-season woes behind them and began competing with the leading
teams.

Hill has said he is disappointed with his performance at Silverstone,
despite equalling his best qualifying performance of the season and he will
start from seventh place in Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

"It is difficult just thinking about the race tomorrow, let alone
what's going to happen next season," said Hill. "If we get more
pace from the car we could be competing for pole position. Things would
look rosier, more appealing then."

"It's encouraging that we can say that we're disappointed with seventh
place. I'm disappointed because I was very close to Jacques Villeneuve's
time in third place."

Hill, boosted by the large numbers of supporters carrying Union Jack flags
bearing his name, added: "It's fantastic the support I get here and it
was great to see the fans turning out. I'm not too worried about the
conditions if it rains tomorrow. That might help us, but the prediction is
for fierce gales and torrential rain, which I am not too happy about."

Hill is paid around œ5 million by Jordan, but has a clause allowing him to
leave at the end of the first year of the two-year deal if he is unhappy at
his race prospects.

The 37-year-old former world champion has been linked with the British
American Racing team - where he could form a partnership with Jacques
Villeneuve - although he is widely expected to remain at Jordan.

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