Eddie Jordan yesterday insisted that his team's lack of a works engine will have no affect on performance in the coming Formula One season.

The team go into the 2000 season running the Mugen engines which brought them two race wins and third place in the 1999 constructors' championship, but also knowing their main rivals are now tied to major motor manufacturers and the vast resources they can bring to a squad.

But Jordan, speaking at the launch of the new EJ10, named to honour the team's founder and to celebrate their 10th season in Formula One, said that he had no problem with being the only team without a works engine supply.

"It won't be difficult for us at all," he said. "I welcome the major manufacturers and I wish them well, but for me and Jordan, I feel much more comfortable with the fact that the same group of people have guided the team since the mid-1980s, and I would never want to change that."

Mugen is the motorsport wing of Honda, and while there were suggestions early last season that Jordan would receive the works engines when Honda's wholly-owned Formula One scheme was scrapped, the deal eventually fell to F1 new boys British American Racing (BAR).

But while BAR will receive the lion's share of Honda support, technical involvement with Jordan will still continue.

"Behind the scenes we're getting quite a lot of support from Honda," said Jordan. "On the day after the launch last year we were requested by Hirotoshi Honda (of the Mugen company) and by Honda themselves to continue the partnership for a further two years. That was the opportunity for me to decide whether everything was absolutely right and I am sure we are not suffering in any shape or form.

"The engine we won with in Monza last year was a very powerful engine. You don't win there without having the right sort of horsepower. Coupled with that, we've now increased the performance in a reliable way, so I have absolutely no problem at all with the Honda thing."

Yesterday's launch at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London, marked the first appearance of Jordan's new driver lineup of Heinz Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli, and Jordan admitted he was delighted to have secured the young Italian's services as a replacement for the retired Damon Hill.

"I can't believe how lucky and fortunate we were to be able to replace Damon with Jarno," he said. "I think that without question he's the up-and-coming star driver of the future. I believe that this time next year we'll be all saying: `My God, this Jarno Trulli is a sensation'.

"I have no doubt we have captured the jewel in the crown and the perfect partner for Heinz."

Keeping pace with Frentzen, though, will not prove an easy task for the former Prost driver. Jordan has high hopes that the German, who struggled so badly at former team Williams, can surprise him even more this year.

"I have to say I did listen carefully to what Michael Schumacher had to say, and he said that he felt that the championship would be between Heinz, himself and Mika and I'd agree with that. But anything can happen. But I'd be surprised if Heinz wasn't biting for the top three. I do know that Heinz has had a good bet on himself, so let's see what happens.

"Me? I wouldn't dare go into betting at this juncture. It's well known that I don't like betting of any description."

With the regulations governing car design virtually unchanged from last year, the racing, which begins in Melbourne on March 12th, is likely to be closer than ever. With Jordan unwilling to settle for anything less than improvement and with the chasing pack of Jaguar and possibly Williams, BAR and Prost moving ever closer, the fight is sure to be long and hard.

Perhaps then it was no coincidence that yesterday's launch featured a star turn by ex-Riverdance queen Jean Butler, currently starring in her own vehicle in the same theatre. And the name of her show? Dancing on Dangerous Ground.