Eddie Jordan surprised by FIA president’s decision

Within a little over a year, when Mohammed bin Sulayem took over as president of the FIA, contradictions arose more than once in relations between the federation and Formula 1, which did not contribute to systematic and effective work. In the end he decided to stop trying to influence the affairs of Formula 1 operationally, and we talked about it.

Eddie Jordan, the founder and former head of the Jordan team, who commented for years on World Cup races on British TV, was surprised by the move by the FIA ​​president.

“I think there have always been contradictions. I remember the times when Jean-Marie Balestre (French motorsport official, who headed the FIA ​​until 1993) fought with Bernie Ecclestone, Jordan told the London edition of Metro in an interview. – I remember very well how Ayrton Senna publicly said hurtful things to Balestra, because it seemed to him that he was being harassed and hindered, while playing with Alain Prost. As time went on I think he was probably right.

FIA officials have traditionally been in a state of confrontation with the leadership of Formula 1. I have known Mohammed bin Sulayem for 30 or 40 years, from the time he was in rallying, and his navigator was Irishman Ronan Morgan. I find him a very pleasant person and pleasant to work with.

But due to the different stories going around, he decided to step back, which surprises me because I thought it was in the interest of the sport to have both sides in a strong position. We need Formula 1 to have strong leadership, but the leadership of the FIA ​​must be exactly the same.

If necessary, Mohammed can show his cool character – in my opinion, it should be. But I don’t want to get involved in these disputes, because I probably don’t know everything about what’s happening, and if you don’t know much, you risk, so I’d rather stop with that.

Michael Andretti’s desire to co-host a new team with General Motors is one of the pressing issues on which the FIA ​​and Formula 1 have different positions. If the federation welcomes the Andretti Cadillac project, F1 president Stefano Domenicali and most championship teams take a more than reserved position.

“In my opinion, they can talk all they want, but in reality everything is decided only by money, and money, as we know, is bad,” Jordan noted. “That will never change. In my time there were 33 cars on the grid in Monaco and, as far as I remember, Bernie didn’t even give me boxes. My team was just on the grass somewhere almost over the horizon.

I don’t think the appearance of two more cars on the grid is necessarily a bad thing. Andretti is a beautiful name and I have nothing against Mario and Michael, they have a very rich history in motorsport. But just because of that name they shouldn’t be in Formula 1. They must earn the right to play in the championship, and Bernie has always believed in the validity of the truth expressed in these words: “Such a right must be earned.”

In general, whether the FIA ​​wants a new team or not, it is important to take into account all the circumstances and consider what it can give to Formula 1. It should not appear in the championship just because it is an American team. ..”