Eddie Jordan believes Aston Martin F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll is currently “the smartest instrument” in F1 and a man who has “the Midas touch”.
Jordan’s original team, which was put on its rails in 1991 and managed by its founder until 2005, went through a multitude of iterations – Midland, Spyker and Force India – before it ended up in the trusty hands of Lawrence Stroll in the summer of 2018.
The Canadian billionaire has tackled F1 as a team owner with the same determination and flair that led to his massive success in the business world as a prominent investor in such well-known brands such as Tommy Hilfiger or Michael Kors.
After ensuring Racing Point’s stature as a top midfield contender – and a Grand Prix winner – in the past two years, Stroll is ready to take his team to the next level under the Aston Martin banner, which obviously implies championship ambitions for ‘Team Silverstone’.
“Never, ever rule out the father, Lawrence Stroll,” Jordan told website The Race.
“He has that Midas touch, everything he does he turns to gold. He is the smartest instrument in Formula 1 at the moment, without any question.”
While Stroll’s rise to power in F1 is perceived as mercurial by fans, the 61-year-old has been entrenched in the F1 paddock for years.
In 1992, Stroll sponsored Team Lotus through the Tommy Hilfiger brand and Pepe Jeans brands, while the Canadian and his Hong Kong partner Silas Chou later acquired centuries-old British jewelry company Asprey and Garrard, a Ferrari sponsor at the time.
“I’ve known Lawrence for a very long time,” said Jordan.
“He was extremely welcoming and friendly to me when the Jordan team first went to Canada. It was a long time ago, but I remember finishing fourth and fifth. And that was in our very early days and Lawrence was one of the first people around to congratulate us.
“I remember being in this house for dinner on occasions in ’91, ’92. So, he’s been a fan for a long time.
“He got a little bit of help with his dad, and I’m talking about a very modest amount of help, but he turned that around into five times the value – and then he invested that and that made 10 times the value.”
Initially perceived as the generous benefactor of his son Lance, who began his career in F1 with Williams in 2017, Stroll Snr has evolved to become one of the biggest players and opinion leaders in the F1 paddock, but also a genuine “revelation” according to Jordan.
“He started from something relatively small – more than what most people would have, but at the same time tiny compared to where he is now. I mean absolutely tiny,” added the Irishman.
“He has been a revelation, he’s one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds that you could get.
“Everything he does turns to gold, whether it’s Michael Kors, whether it’s Tommy Hilfiger, whether it’s the fragrance brand, whether it’s a jeans company. Everything that he does.
“And remember he’s come in, and he’s taken over, effectively, a team in administration or bankruptcy, call it what you like, with Force India. And they won a race at the end of last year.
“Who’d have ever thought that that could have happened? You have to give them absolutely massive credit.”
Read also: Stroll rubbishes rumors of Aston Martin sale to Chinese company
Stroll realized a major coup when he convinced four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to join Aston Martin F1.
And while there are those who doubt the German’s ability to be successful with the team, Jordan is convinced Vettel’s vast knowledge will prove valuable, not unlike the precious baggage brought to Jordan Grand Prix by Damon Hill back in the day.
“The team has chosen Vettel because of the knowledge he has, as a four-time world champion,” he said.
“I can speak from experience, Hill coming to me wasn’t necessarily the quickest driver in the world, but he was hugely knowledgeable, hugely talented, and he had an ability to impart information and knowledge to us, to be able to build a far better car.
“I do believe that that’s where Vettel will be really strong. And I think the team will be a lot stronger as a result.”
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter