Having sold off his Formula One team, Eddie Jordan now appears to have a little more time on his hands.

Last week he gave his opinion on the future of the Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC), while today he has chosen to use Ireland's Sunday Independent as a means of easing his conscience.

The Irishman has finally chosen to tell the truth over the affair that still puzzles F1 fans, namely why he fired Heinz-Harald Frentzen (by fax) just hours before his home Grand Prix in 2001.

Until that time, the German and his employer had enjoyed a strong relationship, indeed young Heinz-Harald was regarded as part of the Irishman's family. In 1999 he had given the Irish team two wins and taken it to within striking distance of the drivers' championship.

Imagine the shock therefore, when, on the eve of the 2001 German GP, it was announced that Heinz-Harald had been fired, and would be replaced, for one race only, by former BAR star, Ricardo Zonta.

The reason for the shock sacking has puzzled F1 fans, and indeed F1 insiders, ever since, but now Eddie has decided to reveal all.

Talking to the Sunday Independent, Jordan has confessed to firing the German in order to appease Honda, which was supplying his engines at the time.

"People didn't understand the Frentzen situation," he says. "At the time I couldn't let him renew the contract because my only way of holding onto the Honda engine was by giving Sato the drive.

"I loved Frentzen," he continued. "He won more Grands Prix for Jordan than anyone else. But I had to protect the engine situation, that was absolutely crucial.

"I took it on the chin. Nobody except myself and one or two in Jordan realised why I had to do what I did. I was in a position I hated. I wanted to keep Frentzen but I couldn't."

The German subsequently found a drive with Prost, but the team went bust at the end of the season. For 2002, Heinz-Harald moved to Arrows, but that too ran into financial problems.

Until now neither man has spoken of the affair, though a subsequent legal battle - settled out of court - saw the German well compensated, at least financially.

It's a funny old game F1. Eddie reveals that he sacked the driver he "loved" to appease Honda... and there was us, cynical old sods that we are, thinking that it was for entirely different reasons.

Yes, it sure is a funny old game.