Monteiro poised to join Jordan.

Tiago Monteiro is on the verge of becoming a Jordan Grand Prix driver for 2005, with a contract likely to be signed in the next couple of hours.

While debate still surrounds whether or not Narain Karthikeyan has actually put pen to paper with the Silverstone-based squad, Crash.net understands that Monteiro's contract is ready and waiting to be inked - and could be completed as early as this morning [Thursday].

The Portuguese driver would step up from last year's World Series by Nissan to join Jordan - as would Karthikeyan - having finished as runner-up to Renault prot?g? Heikki Kovalainen on the back of several race wins. Prior to that, Monteiro raced in the Champ Car World Series with the short-lived Fittipaldi-Dingman team, giving a good account of himself despite a lack of frontrunning results.

His Formula One experience stretches only as far as several test runs with the Minardi team in 2004. Announced as part of the Italian team's four-man squad at the start of the season, Monteiro missed out on Friday testing duties to Belgian rival Bas Leinders, but conducted the team's limited development programme away from the races, and was recalled for the first outing of the winter 'season' as Minardi evaluated drivers for its 2005 campaign.

More to follow....