Eddie Jordan gives Autocar his expert views on the upcoming Formula One season, which kicks off in Melbourne this weekend. The BBC pundit and pit-lane veteran tells us who he thinks is the fastest driver on the grid, who he expects to make the biggest impact and what chances the rookie teams have of success.
Who’s the quickest driver on the grid? If everyone had the same car, who would win the 2011 championship?EJ: “Tough one. We’re very fortunate at the moment in having some outstandingly talented drivers at the height of their powers. Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton – for me, it’s a toss-up between those three. I have to pick one? Vettel then – purely because I think the best drivers tend to end up in the fastest cars, and that’s certainly where he is at the moment.”
Are Vettel and Red Bull beatable? Are McLaren and Ferrari already fighting for runner-up constructor?“It’s wrong to think that Vettel will just run away with the championship. Mark Webber could have been champion last year, remember. He’s resilient; he could surprise people.
"As for the Red Bull team – historically, they tend to live closer to the edge of the technical regulations than everyone else. That could still come back to haunt them. It remains to be seen how well a KERS system will integrate with that Renault engine, too. There’s plenty of hope for McLaren and Ferrari, don’t worry.”
Which of the rookie drivers will make the biggest impact?“Paul di Resta’s a much stronger prospect for me. I’ve known him for some time, I watched him in DTM and in the lower formulas. He did a good job as third driver for Force India last season. And they must have seen something in him to give him the opportunity.”
What about the rookie teams? Will HRT, Virgin or Team Lotus step up?“I didn’t think they’d all make it to year two, to be honest; if they all get through this season then maybe they’ll be with us for the long term. Trouble is, the gap from the bottom three teams up to Torro Rosso and Force India is still wide; they’ll need to make a quantum leap to bridge it.”
Do you think driver-adjustable rear wings will make for more overtaking? If not, how would you spice up the sport?“I don’t think so. But then we have to be clear about what kind of racing we want to watch every weekend. It makes no sense to have a qualifying formula that automatically puts the slower guys behind the faster ones, and then complain when there’s a lack of overtaking.
“If you want to change that without changing the qualifying set-up, you could think about ballast – the system they use in touring cars. But whatever you do is going to be artificial; it’s always going to skew the natural order of the race.”
How long before Ross Brawn and Mercedes GP win a race?“The framework’s there for them now. Signing Bob Bell [Mercedes GP’s new technical director] will make a big difference; that’s a real shift in the Formula 1 landscape, and it’ll free Ross’s hand to have greater input elsewhere.”
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