After a series of disappointing seasons and the increasingly serious problem of funding, the Jordan Team unveils the new EJ14 quietly, in the courtyard of its Silverstone factory. With a lean technical team responsible for the design and development of the car, the team, racing under an Irish license, cannot hold high hopes for the new season. Northern Irishman Gary Anderson remains the Technical Director, while Englishman John McQuilliam continues as Chief Designer. The Frenchman Henri Durand is no longer part of the staff, but Italian Nicolò Petrucci retains his role as Head of Aerodynamics.
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| JORDAN EJ14, Nick Heidfeld Imola, San Marino GP 2004 |
The car is not entirely new but rather a major update of the uncompetitive EJ13 from the previous year, featuring a slightly revised chassis combined with a new aerodynamic package. At the front, the team returns to the classic single-keel design, less efficient aerodynamically but probably necessary to achieve greater rigidity compared to the twin keels used the year before. Aside from the structural changes at the front, the EJ14’s aerodynamic concept shows only minor differences. The front wing has a more curved profile with a relatively narrow chord in the central section. The bargeboards are simpler, using three fins to divert airflow from the front wing around the car. The sidepods follow the traditional Jordan design, though they partly copy Ferrari’s style in the shape of the inlets and the profiles in front of the rear wheels, as well as adopting Ferrari-like hot air chimneys. With the horizontally placed exhausts located far from the engine cover, the rear of the car lacks a sleek line, since the bodywork ends well before the wheels, with the engine cover extending far back to conceal the rockers and dampers of the rear suspension. To comply with the new regulations, the rear wing is drastically simplified, consisting only of two upper elements (a main plane and a curved flap) and a full-width lower element.
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| JORDAN EJ14, Giorgio Pantano Melbourne, Australian GP 2004 |
The EJ14 uses the new 90° Cosworth CR-6 V10, the same engine fitted to the Jaguars, but in this case named Ford RS2. With the wider and lower new engine, Jordan had to design a new exhaust system, as well as a new airbox and a different cooling layout, with the radiators positioned at a compound angle inside the sidepods. The gearbox, built by Jordan, was not updated; it remains a classic longitudinal seven-speed made of light alloy, with no use of carbon, and also serves as a mounting point for the upper wishbone of the suspension.
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| JORDAN EJ14, Giorgio Pantano Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2004 |
As in previous seasons, the main color of the livery remains yellow, with black sidepods and wings. The main sponsor continues to be Benson & Hedges, replaced in countries with tobacco advertising bans by the “Be on Edge” slogan or by the team’s name. Noteworthy is the “Lazarus” inscription featured on the car during the first pre-season tests at Imola in February 2004, symbolizing the team’s resurrection after the near closure at the end of 2003. With reduced financial support from the tobacco sponsor, Eddie Jordan secured additional backing from “Trust,” but the limited budget prevented proper car development, with only a handful of test sessions carried out before the season. The two EJ14s were driven by German Nick Heidfeld and Italian rookie Giorgio Pantano, reigning Formula 3000 champion, though he earned his seat mainly through personal sponsors. In Canada, however, Pantano was replaced by German Timo Glock, as his backers failed to pay on time. Glock then permanently replaced Pantano for the last three races, when it became clear the Italian’s budget was no longer sufficient to secure his seat.
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| JORDAN EJ14, Nick Heidfeld Imola, pre-season tests February 2004 |
The car’s performance and reliability were generally poor throughout the season, with only three points finishes that earned Jordan a total of 5 points. Heidfeld finished seventh in Monaco, while both cars scored points in Canada, finishing seventh and eighth, only thanks to the disqualification of four cars that had finished ahead of them. For the first time in the team’s history, no car finished in the top six, underlining the EJ14’s lack of competitiveness. At the end of the season, another blow struck Jordan: Ford announced its withdrawal from Formula 1, once again leaving the Irish team without an engine for the following year. Just when the Jordan Team seemed on the brink of extinction, in the early weeks of 2005, Eddie Jordan pulled off another masterstroke, securing a deal with Toyota to supply its RVX-05 V10 engines.
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