Eddie Jordan has admitted that he thinks McLaren driver Oscar Piastri is the only person who can stop Max Verstappen in the future.
Jordan was speaking on TalkSPORT (9/10 9:40am) after a draining Qatar Grand Prix.
After a 19-lap Sprint Race that saw Oscar Piastri win his first-ever race in Formula 1, Sunday’s event was an exhausting slog for 19 drivers.
Carlos Sainz didn’t even take the grid due to an issue with his Ferrari, but he may have dodged a bullet given the state his rivals were in by the time they reached the chequered flag.
Logan Sargeant couldn’t finish the race, while Esteban Ocon admitted to being sick in his helmet halfway through the race.
Williams driver Alex Albon went to the medical centre with ‘acute heat exposure’ but has now been cleared.
Among all of this, Max Verstappen drove off at the front of the pack with Oscar Piastri chasing him down and Jordan believes the young Australian is the three-time world champion’s closest rival.
Piastri is now proving to be fierce competition for teammate Lando Norris and even managed to outqualify him on Saturday before his maiden victory.
Jordan backs Piastri to challenge Verstappen
Asked about the state of the front of the grid in Formula 1 right now, Jordan said: “You have to think about McLaren.
“McLaren at the moment and Oscar Piastri is just fabulous and he is the only real one that I can see emerging that could take it to [Max] Verstappen in years to come.
“And let’s hope that happens because for a young kid, rookie of the year, to come in and win that Sprint Race on Saturday and finish second yesterday was simply staggering.
“And I have to say I have the height of respect for this kid and I think he’s got a massive future. Let’s see what happens.”
Many F1 fans will agree with Jordan that Piastri looks like the strongest driver in the long term to challenge Verstappen.
He’s incredibly quick for a rookie and Lando Norris now has a job on his hands to remain the clear number-one driver at McLaren.
Ultimately, it’s going to come down to whether McLaren can put together a car that can challenge Red Bull.
They’re getting closer and once the two teams are on a par, the Australian will back himself to challenge Verstappen.
The sport needs to find a team and a driver that can give Red Bull and Verstappen a run for their money.
Piastri might just end up being that man.