Eddie Jordan ‘doesn’t know what’s happened’ to race-winning driver since F1’s autumn break

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Ferrari have been the form team in F1 ever since the sport’s unofficial autumn break. Only four races on from the summer shutdown, there was a four-week gap between the Singapore and United States Grands Prix.

The difference this time was that the teams could continue to work on their cars. They didn’t have to observe a mandatory two-week closure like they do in August.

And Ferrari seem to have benefitted most of all. They introduced a major upgrade package in Monza but, as has been the trend in 2024, they needed time to study and optimise it.

Charles Leclerc won that race but McLaren were the faster team on the day. It was a strategic masterclass rather than a triumph on pure pace.

But they were clearly the class of the field in the United States and Mexico. Leclerc led a dominant one-two in Austin, then Carlos Sainz converted an emphatic pole last weekend.

Meanwhile, Red Bull’s much-hyped upgrade has done ‘nothing’. And McLaren no longer look like the force they were in Singapore.

Eddie Jordan confused by Oscar Piastri’s downturn in form

While Lando Norris has still collected 36 points from the last two events (including the Sprint in the US), Oscar Piastri has struggled. He’s only managed 14 in the first two legs of the triple-header.

That has seen him fall 40 points adrift of the top three in the standings and into the clutches of Sainz, who’s now only 11 behind him. He’s had to mount two recovery drives after an SQ1 exit in Austin and a Q1 elimination in Mexico.

Between the two, there was a solid run to fifth at the Circuit of the Americas. But that interrupted a run of three successive podiums.

Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, Eddie Jordan expressed surprise at his rather sudden drop-off. And he doesn’t think McLaren will allow him to win any more races this year as they prioritise Norris’ title bid – Piastri already received team orders at the US GP.

“Piastri, I don’t know what’s happened to him in the last couple of races,” Jordan said. “He’s very quick, but he hasn’t been there to support Lando as much as he possibly could have.

“But he could go on and win Grands Prix. I don’t think he’ll be allowed to win Grands Prix anymore, because for sure the fight for Lando to get a world title is so important.”

Oscar Piastri on the one thing he ‘never’ wants to do again after McLaren woes

It wasn’t long ago that Piastri was mentioned as a dark horse in the F1 title race. In the 11-race stretch between Monaco and Singapore, he scored more points than any other driver.

He was disappointed with his showing in Spain, where he finished down in seventh as Norris competed for victory, but he was largely immaculate until Singapore, placing no lower than fourth. Now his hot streak is at an end and he’s also relinquished his 100% Q3 record.

It says a lot about Piastri’s level this year that two race weekends constitutes a rough patch. But his season is at risk of petering out.

Piastri ‘never’ wants to start from the back again after a tiresome fightback to eighth in Mexico. The historically close nature of the current field means slight mistakes in qualifying can leave you wildly out of position.