Eddie Jordan, former Formula 1 team principal, has been left astounded by the performance of rookie driver Oscar Piastri, praising the 22-year-old McLaren driver for his recent top-five finishes in Silverstone and Hungary.
Jordan believes Piastri’s remarkable potential could lead him to Red Bull in the future, especially with the support of his manager, former Red Bull driver Mark Webber.
Piastri’s impressive performances have seen him rise in the standings with consecutive top-five finishes, showcasing his talent and adaptability on the track.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Piastri even challenged the dominant Max Verstappen in the opening stages of the race, demonstrating his racing prowess.
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Jordan was particularly taken aback by Piastri’s achievements, especially considering the young driver’s relative inexperience at the Hungaroring: “The thing that caught my interest yesterday was this guy Piastri.
“He’d never been to this track before, maybe once in the junior formulas, and for him to come out and qualify on the second row and race like he did, and race against Max…
“Be careful where he’s going to go because I think there is big star quality in there, I’m actually blown away with this young kid, so he’d be one of the drivers I’d be looking at to challenge Max in the future.”
One key factor that Jordan pointed out is Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber.
As a former Red Bull driver himself, Webber has played an instrumental role in getting Piastri a seat in Formula 1.
The Australian driver secured back-to-back championships in Formula 3 and Formula 2, but last season, he missed out on an F1 seat when Alpine opted to retain Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.
Webber was quick to respond, working diligently to secure Piastri a seat at McLaren, even at the expense of terminating Daniel Ricciardo’s contract.
Ricciardo, formerly of Red Bull, has been linked to a potential return to the team due to Sergio Perez’s inconsistent performances.
However, Jordan believes that Webber will advocate for his fellow countryman, Piastri, if a seat becomes available at Red Bull.
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“He’s managed by my old partner Mark Webber, and we saw how he got him into McLaren.
“Do not be surprised if there’s a seat available at Red Bull, of course where Mark used to be, don’t be surprised if he [Piastri] is named in front of the public eye in the future,” Jordan explained.
He added that he does not foresee Ricciardo returning to Red Bull, as the team tends to have a forward-looking approach.