BMW’s Verstappen-like prodigy who may not make F1
European Formula 3 Championship leader Lando Norris seems destined for Formula 1. One of his biggest rivals deserves a similar shot but is flying under the radar of most - except BMW
"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."
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Marcus Simmons is the Deputy Editor of Autosport magazine. As a child he was a regular on the chalk banks of Thruxton – hence his unhealthy obsession with 1970s Formula 2 and F3 – before he became an MSA timekeeper at the age of 17. At 19, his reporting debut for Motoring News arguably overshadowed Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal as the sporting moment of June 1986, and he joined the staff in 1990 after graduating from his degree course in Plymouth. A parallel Formula First career – which was as incident-packed as his childhood exploits in show-jumping and hunter trials – finished when he wrote off his car and put himself in hospital in 1991.
Marcus moved to Autosport in the summer of 1996. Since then he has had two stints as a freelancer and a brief spell as editor of Motor Sport magazine, during which the revered green cover was revived, before he rejoined Autosport in 2008. He lives in Teddington with his wife (who, gratifyingly, grew up within earshot of Castle Combe), daughter, stepson, dog, cat and guitars, and additionally has an adult daughter and stepson.
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