Jordan backs Norris to be Britain’s next World Champion
McLaren Lando Norris puts his hands to his head and he stands on the Austrian GP podium where he was P3. Austria July 2021
Eddie Jordan has picked out Lando Norris as the driver who he feels can emerge to challenge Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Seven-time World Champion Hamilton has his hands full in 2021 as he bids for a record eighth title, with Red Bull’s Verstappen out to stop him and take his first World Championship.
Formula 1 right now though is in a very healthy state, with a crop of extremely talented young drivers.
But which prospect stands out from the pack? Ex-team boss Jordan mentioned the likes of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, but settled on Norris who he feels can be Britain’s next World Champion.
“I do like Norris, I think he is very special,” said Jordan on the F1 Nation podcast.
“Having said that, Pierre Gasly surprises me every time I see him in the car because he has the ability to do great things, as we saw when he won that race [in Italy].
“I don’t know how good that car [is], but Franz Tost, who runs the team, he is a wily old character, so I would assume that is a good car.
“It’s difficult to say outside those first two [Hamilton and Verstappen], personally when I was involved with [Vijay] Mallya [former Force India boss], I was a big fan of Ocon, we saw how professional I think he drove at the last race [Hungarian Grand Prix], I thought he did remarkable, there was a lot of pressure there.
“Sure he got helped with [Fernando] Alonso and various other things and the circumstances, however, is he of that style? No I don’t think so, not yet.
“There are very few that actually can come up to Max and Lewis’ standard, and I think Norris is the one that stands out.
“I think that if we are looking for another World Champion in Britain, you would have to be looking at Lando Norris.”
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Jordan knows all about spotting bright racing talent, having brought Michael Schumacher into Formula 1 back in 1991, handing the seven-time World Champion his debut with the Jordan team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix.
Now his son Mick Schumacher is competing in Formula 1, and though Jordan said it is too early to make comparisons, he was disappointed with what he saw from the 22-year-old in Hungary.
Schumacher had been battling with the likes of Verstappen at the Hungaroring, but ultimately finished P12.
“Too early to say, I haven’t really seen enough,” said Jordan when asked if Mick is a “chip off the old block”.
“I saw him capitulate too much in Hungary, I thought ‘yes I don’t know how bad that car is’, but it has to pretty grim if he gave in the way he did give in to some of the moves.
“He’s learning and sometimes it takes a little bit of time, but his dad, he didn’t have to wait any time, but to be fair I think Jordan was a good car at that time.”
