EDDIE JORDAN last night denied that his signing of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella means he has effectively written off hopes of retaining his Peugeot engine deal beyond this year.

Peugeot had hoped to have a French driver in the team.

Jordan talked about the engine issue after the announcement that Fisichella (23), will drive alongside Ralf Schumacher: "Peugeot would have liked a French driver, all other things being equal. But more than anything they want us to be quick and that is why we went for Giancarlo - he is a great talent."

Jordan must comprehensively outperform Alain Prost's soon-to-be-announced Ligier team if he is to retain access to the French V10 after November. Prost will be powered by Peugeot in 1998.

Fisicheila has driven in nine grand prixs for Miaardi. Jordan explained what he hopes the Italian will bring: "I think he'll be great with Raif- they'll push each other to greater things, like Rubens and Irvine did in the early days."

To Irvine, Fisichella is an unknown: "His only drives in Fl have been in a bad car, so it's hard to judge from that. I know they talk a lot about him as if he is good," said the Ulsterman who hopes to get his first run in the new Ferrari today. "I'm really looking forward to it. This year has to be a lot better for me and I believe it will be. We're now into the second year of the V10 and the gearbox. The car is out early so we should be much more reliable. I will get a lot more testing, and that will make me a lot shaper."

. Britain's Jason Plato has pipped two Formula One drivers for the second seat in the Williams Renault team for this year's Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship.

The 28-year-old beat off challenges from Italian Gianni Morbidelli and Frenchman Jean-Christophe Boullion for the Laguna drive alongside Swiss ace Alain Menu, runner-up in the championship in 1995 and last year.