Jordan confirms Gascoyne departure.

The Jordan team has confirmed that designer Mike Gascoyne will be leaving at the end of his current contract.

A press statement issued today [Thursday] appears to tie in with speculation that Gascoyne has been approached by Renault to design its first works car since leaving the sport in the mid-'80s. The French operation has recently acquired the Benetton team, and is due to re-enter Formula One in its own right from 2002.

''Mike has informed me of his plans, and has pledged to honour his contract until July 2001,'' admitted team boss Eddie Jordan, ''Due to our success in recent years it is inevitable that our key team members would be approached by other teams, particularly as the major motor manufacturers become involved.

''Throughout our existence we have invested heavily in developing young talent and putting structures in place so that no individual is irreplaceable. Mike has done, and will continue to do, a great job for us. We have a great team of designers and engineers, and I am confident that they, in conjunction with our technical partners Mugen-Honda and Bridgestone, will mount an increasingly strong challenge for the world championship.''

Gascoyne thanked the team for its contribution to his development and success.

''I really appreciate the great opportunity which Eddie and his team have given me at Jordan,'' he said, ''The company is rich with truly outstanding people, and my move will make the way clear for them to achieve greater success and recognition.''