Eddie Jordan explains why Oscar Piastri’s move on Charles Leclerc was ‘world-class’

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McLaren driver Oscar Piastri is developing a reputation in Formula 1 and it’s one that many of his rivals would love to have achieved themselves.

Oscar Piastri is now a two-time Grand Prix winner with McLaren to add to the Sprint Race victory he achieved during his debut season in Qatar.

He’s currently matching teammate Lando Norris win-for-win despite the fact the Brit has four more seasons of Formula 1 experience under his belt.

Not only is Piastri supremely fast, he’s getting better and better with each race.

Mark Webber has pointed out where Piastri is improving throughout the season and that was on show during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Where Norris got caught out in qualifying by an unfortunately timed yellow flag, Piastri picked up the slack for McLaren, not feeling the pressure of needing to score big points when his teammate was going to be forced into a recovery drive.

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It would have been easy for him to sit behind Charles Leclerc until the chequered flag to bank enough points for McLaren to take the lead in the Constructors’ Championship but that’s not in his character.

Speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan was seriously impressed with the young Australian.

Much has been said about the move that saw him take the lead in Baku, but Jordan was more impressed by the way he managed to hold onto the position.

Leading isn’t necessarily as easy as chasing, especially on a circuit with such a long straight and DRS zone.

Piastri managed that brilliantly and held out until Leclerc’s tyres gave out, allowing him to drive off into the distance.

Eddie Jordan loved how Oscar Piastri managed his lead over Charles Leclerc in Baku

Talking about Piastri’s performance, Jordan said: “Well we’ve seen it now two races in a row, we saw what happened to Norris at Monza and Lando was caught unaware there for sure and so was a megastar of the future Charles Leclerc, he’s no sleeping giant, he’s big time in Formula 1.

“Young Piastri came up past him and do you know what I found most interesting and the reason why I said years or months ago that I thought he was world-class material?

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“When he passes somebody, he makes it stick. He’s not floundering around looking for different angles here or flying across the track from one side to the other to make sure that he retains the place, he did it all very correctly.

“He made one move, which he’s entitled to do and he only ever made that. But you know, he had his mind made up, he had the mirrors in such a way that he knew exactly where the pass was likely to come from.

“He made his move then, and he didn’t move off that. God, I think he is absolutely stardust, mustard.”

Eddie Jordan shares the only thing he ‘hated’ about Piastri’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory

Once Piastri managed to escape the one-second gap Leclerc had maintained for dozens of laps, he was able to check his mirrors and watch a different battle going on.

Carlos Sainz had managed his tyres brilliantly and with Leclerc struggling, suddenly there was a three-way battle for the final two spots on the podium.

Once Sainz and Sergio Perez collided, that should have been the end of the race as a contest, although Nico Hulkenberg managed to lose two positions before the safety car came out as he avoided the debris on the track.

Jordan admitted he hated that Piastri won the race behind the safety car, believing that he should have had the honour of racing past his delighted team members on the pit wall.

That won’t bother Piastri too much though, as he still looked delighted standing on the top step of the podium.