JACKIE STEWART yesterday signalled an unmistakable determination to steer his new Formula One team into the big time by announcing that he has signed Jan Magnussen, the 23 year old Dane who has long been tipped as a future world champion, as his first confirmed driver for 1997.

Stewart, a former triple world, champion who founded his new Fl team together with his son Paul, knows better than most what makes a top grand prix driver. He has shrugged aside the short term disappointment at their failure to recruit Damon Hill and has now concluded a four year contract with Magnussen.

Magnussen previously drove for Paul Stewart Racing in 1994 when he won the British Formula 3 championship with 14 wins out of 18 races.

"Jan is the best F3 driver I have ever seen, and that includes Ayrton Senna," said Stewart senior. "He displayed an outstanding talent in the formative classes of the sport. He was a graduate of the Paul Stewart Racing staircase of talent."

That stands as some endorsement. What Stewart did not add was that he only signed Magnussen after making it clear to the independently minded young man that he would have to clean up his act before making his F1 debut.

Speaking at last month's Portuguese grand prix, Stewart sounded a cautionary note on thee subject of the young Dane: "He has to totally commit himself to the job and I think in recent times that might not have been happening.

"Jan needs to make up make up his mind that he wants to be a topline racing driver. He's not a disciplined person, and all top F1 drivers have been very focused.

"But that's the only issue he has to address. He's got terrific potential, but he's got to make his mind up that he has to be as fit as Michael Schumacher, who isn't smoking cigarettes."

Fitness issues aside, Magnussen has the perfect achievement profile for a future grand prix winner. A multiple karting world champion, he followed his British F3 championship success with a spell as test driver for the F1 McLaren team.