GRAND Prix team owner Giancarlo Minardi has tipped his protege and new Jordan driver, Giancarlo Fisichella, as a star of the future. But Martin Brundle has been complaining about his treatment at the hands of Eddie Jordan.
"There is no doubt he will be Italy's next world champion," said the Italian team owner, for whom Fisichella (24), from Rome, drove in seven grands prix last year. "He is a natural talent, he grows from race to race and I firmly believe he will be a star of the future."
Minardi alluded to the fact that he has a long-term interest in the young Italian: "We made a lot of sacrifices to put him into the car and I believe the risk will pay us back."
Fisichella has also been studied at close quarters by the new boss of FIAT in Ireland, Christian Perutsi, who oversaw the Alfa Romeo involvement in the German touring car ITC series in which Fisichella was a constant front runner. "To me he was the best driver in the series. He's only 24 but already seems to have all the attributes." Fisichella has completed his testing programme in the Jordan 196, trying new bits to be used on the 197 to be unveiled today in London. The son of a garage mechanic, he has got to the top without family money, a feat he shares with Eddie Irvine.
He had a frustrating time last year: "To score no points was disappointing, but if you don't have the car there is not much you can do. The best result was to sign with Jordan," said the quiet newcomer.
The man he replaces, Martin Brundle, is not as happy: "I feel I paid a high price for driving a poor car. In the middle of the year the team were saying the drivers were no good and by the end they were admitting the car was no good. That made me angry.
"I'm just disappointed with the way Jordan has handled the last three months," said Brundle, who originally shot to fame in Jordan's F3 car more than a dozen years ago.
Brundle does suggest some of the reasoning behind Jordan's decision to, drop him and run Fisichella alongside Ralf Schumacher: "When it comes to getting engines in 1998 his decision may prove entirely logical," he added.
