Jordan Pities Two Drivers 'Stuck' With Car That Can't Compete For Championship

Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at 17:00

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan asserted in a recent podcast two great F1 drivers are in a very tough spot going into the 2024 season.

There are 20 drivers on the F1 grid at the moment, but realistically, only a few of them can compete for race wins and Championships.

As much as many fans hate it, every single driver in the sport is fully dependent on his team to provide him with a car that would be capable of competing for the first place.

The double World Champion Fernando Alonso proved this with his years at McLaren (when the team didn't have a competitive car) and Alpine.

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Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes Alpine is in a position now where it has two excellent drivers but can't provide them with the right machinery. He started with Pierre Gasly as he described the situation on the Formula For Success Podcast:

"Alpine, two good drivers. I have a sweet spot for Gasly. I think he tries really hard and sometimes he’s a little bit unlucky."

Alpine had one of the most equally matched driver pairings in 2023, and even though the team didn't have a competitive car, they managed to score two Grand Prix podiums.

"Ocon, who we saw when he was at Force India, so you know, the Jordan, Force India, the Aston Martin [evolution], I’ve had a lot of good experiences with him."

While both French drivers would love to battle for Championship and race wins as soon as next season, Jordan doesn't believe it will be possible.

"Nevertheless, do I see them making much improvement next year? Really, truthfully, no. I think the engine is not good enough. And two great drivers, but you know, they’re stuck in there and they just make the best of it."

Ocon lately stated he wants his team to close the gap to the leaders going into 2024 and does not care if it's realistic. Do you think the Alpine is capable of doing that?