Eddie Jordan had some choice words for Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff following the team's disappointing run.
The 74-year-old sat down for a chat with betting firm OLGB in which he discussed Mercedes’ decline and the Austrian's role in it. The Silver Arrows have failed to register a podium finish during the first two races of the 2023 season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and have even been surpassed by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Wolff has been very critical of the performances of his team so far and even appeared to concede any hopes of Mercedes winning the championship. Jordan however, thinks the Mercedes boss needs to shoulder more responsibility regarding his team’s average performances. “We saw the Mercedes car was poor last year, porpoising up and down but they have eradicated some of that,” Jordan said to OLGB.
“ Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time world champion who has a really impressive teammate in George Russell who was beaten his expectations so far. I'm critical of Toto Wolff of how he criticised his engineers and how they took their eye off the ball, it's all been done under his watch so it's his responsibility. The book starts with him, Wolff should face the criticism like a man, like a team boss, like a chief executive and face up to the fact that Mercedes have got it wrong.”
Jordan is pleased to see the improvement made by Aston Martin both behind the scenes and on the track. Several employees at Red Bull are now on the books of the Silverstone based team, and recruiting a former world champion with an abundance of experience and driving nous, is something the Irishman believes will help to enhance competition.
“They're [Mercedes] on the same level as Ferrari but not on the same level as Aston Martin or Red Bull,” he added. “Aston Martin is made up from a number of people who come from Red Bull, and they have the Mercedes engine with Fernando Alonso driving the car. They have two podium finishes now and it's great for F1. If we did not have that excitement and Red Bull continued to walk away with the Championship, it would highlight Mercedes' decline even more.”
Speaking of Mercedes, Jordan has encouraged Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes and john Ferrari. Like many the Irishman has witnessed Mercedes’ struggles since the beginning of last season, which have continued into the start of the new campaign. With that said, Jordan has suggested the sport’s most decorated driver take his talents over to the Prancing Horse.
“Formula 1 needs Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari and Ferrari needs Lewis Hamilton,” the former F1 team owner said. “Hamilton should look to go to another Championship-winning team, but the drama is who is going to move aside?
“Hamilton is a McLaren man, but I can't see him going back there because of the position they're in. The only other places I see Hamilton going is Ferrari or staying at Mercedes. At the moment, there's no contract signed and Toto Wolff said if he was Hamilton he would consider leaving.
"What would I be thinking if I was Hamilton, am I really loved here? What is actually happening at Mercedes? I don't know Wolff's point of view on the situation but I believe when he says he wants Hamilton to stay. But Mercedes is not good enough for Hamilton.”
