Hamilton won't win says Jordan

Formula One: Eddie Jordan has warned against expecting too much from Formula One sensation Lewis Hamilton.

Formula One:Eddie Jordan has warned against expecting too much from Formula One sensation Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton is top of the drivers' standings after four races of his debut season, and although Jordan believes the title will go to Fernando Alonso, he has been as stunned as the rest of the sport at the 22-year-old's start.

After two years out of Formula One, the founder and former team boss of Jordan has been gripped by Hamilton's emergence but has called for patience when things inevitably go wrong later in the year.

"The media have a responsibility to be patient because when he has those problems he still has to be given credit. This is an exceptional talent," said Jordan.

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Jordan uses the plight of Jenson Button as an example of a fine driver whose progress has been hindered by the weight of expectation and poor decisions.

"Somebody somewhere has seriously screwed up because Jenson Button is a very serious contender of a driver," he said.

Hamilton has risen to the top with a smile, but Jordan expects the youngster to show the arrogance of a winner soon. His next race is Monaco later this month when he has the chance to record his first win.

"There has to be something steely there, that we hope is in there. If there isn't he'll be swamped," he said. "You need to be supremely arrogant. We haven't seen it yet but you need to have it and if he doesn't it will be his downfall.

"Winners generally are not nice people, they try to be but are immensely selfish, immensely arrogant, have total belief in their own ability and nothing else matters when they are at work.

"Hamilton seems to have a double persona. He's a polite, hugely attractive young man. I guarantee you he's not like that in the car, which is nice because many people can't differentiate."

Aside from success, Hamilton has all the ingredients to boost the sport's popularity.

"He's black, he's attractive, the young female viewers are turning on to him because he's rock and roll," explained Jordan.

Hamilton is two points ahead of his McLaren team-mate Alonso, who Jordan believes made a mistake by not including a clause to make him number one driver.

"Alonso clearly thought he wouldn't be up to it, but to be fair I didn't think he'd be up to it," Jordan added.

Despite his enthusiasm, Jordan has no intention of returning to Formula One, and he has been concentrating on a number of other projects, including his autobiography 'An Independent Man', which is available next month.

He admits he would enjoy a role at Honda but claims they "are never going to come to me".

He said: "With their budget and engine I'd feel certain I could win. It needs to be a younger person - an Eddie Jordan 20 years younger."