» Book Review: ‘Against The Odds: Jordan’s Drive To Win’

Against The Odds: Jordan’s Drive To Win, by Maurice Hamilton with Jon Nicholson
Paperback, © 1999 MacMillan, ISBN 0333736559

At the start of the 1998 championship season, the Jordan team set itself the not inauspicious goal of taking its first Grand Prix victory.

Having spent several seasons effectively treading water after their giant-killing debut season in 1991, it all looked so promising. The budget was secured; a top-shelf driver line-up was on the books; confidence was sky-high.

However, the first pre-season test of the car had everyone worried. The car was slow and lacked good handling. Reliability was questionable. Simply getting it through a race distance would be a mighty effort. The task then became about trying to score a point, which even it couldn’t do by the mid-season.

While the likes of McLaren and Ferrari battled it out for championship honours at the front of the pack, the Jordan team floundered, but it gradually began the task of restoring pride and respect in its operation.

That renowned F1 journalist Maurice Hamilton had been permitted into the team’s inner sanctuary with unrestricted access was a deal signed well before the season even looked like turning south for the team.

It is a credit to them – as Hamilton acknowledged – that the team allowed him to continue with his work, which often saw key figures in direct conflict as they tried to right the ship.

And just because we had an Irish journalist working in an Irish team certainly didn’t mean that Hamilton gave it easy to Jordan. What is extremely refreshing is that Hamilton remained totally objective in putting the book together, and his candid observations about the team’s gradual improvement – which culminated in that incredible 1-2 at Spa-Francorchamps – makes this a truly excellent, refreshing read.

Using our unique ‘Chequered Flags’ rating system, we award Against The Odds: Jordan’s Drive To Win…