"Don't make too many people aware of it!" laughs Jens Marquardt. Autosport has just told the BMW boss that we're writing an article to bring the talent of Joel Eriksson to people's attention, and the subtext of his throwaway remark about the Bavarian manufacturer's junior protege is clear.
Marquardt might as well have said: "Joel is our baby; we want to keep him from the limelight and make him our new superstar before anyone else realises and gets hold of him."
Want further proof of Eriksson's talent? Listen to Motopark boss Timo Rumpfkeil, who gave then-karting sensation Max Verstappen his first steps in a Formula 3 car at the end of 2013, and ran the Dutchman to Masters of F3 glory in '14.
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