Eddie Jordan answers questions on Hamilton, McLaren & more

Eddie Jordan (l) often wears eye-catching clothing when attending F1 grands prix and interviewing stars like Lewis Hamilton

McLaren are a mess and anyone who thinks it is just the Honda engine keeping them off the pace is deluding themselves, BBC F1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan says.

In the build-up to the British Grand Prix, we put your questions to former F1 team owner Jordan and he didn't pull any punches...

The clothes, Eddie, why? WHY?!?! #myeyes - Matt Bone

"Because they make me feel cool and young."

Do you agree that in order for Lewis Hamilton to be considered a great champion he needs to compete against a much better team-mate? - Drew Constable

"I wouldn't be so quick to ask that question when there are only 10 points between the two Mercedes drivers heading into Silverstone. Nico Rosberg is undoubtedly gathering a momentum. Of course he is not as quick as Lewis and I think Lewis will become world champion again this year.

"Having said that, Hamilton will always have little question marks over him while he continues to make silly mistakes like he did in Austria, where he ran over the white line on the pit exit and got a penalty. He needs to rid himself of those to be described as one of the great world champions of all time."

Should F1 consider ideas such as reverse grids or wetting the track at random? - Richard Moores

"It all seems extremely false to me, but we have had Kers and the DRS overtaking aid and some people would say all we are doing is making it possible to be able to pass. There is an argument that things are too easy for those at the front at the moment, with blue flags making it like the parting of the red sea when they come up on backmarkers.

"I would like to see some different approaches, but reverse grids? It has been spoken about for decades but never happened. It sounds too contrived to me."

When the message you intended leaves your brain, are you also sometimes surprised by what your mouth actually utters? - Stewart Hutcheson

"Continually, but it's been like that since birth. Very often I engage the talking process before the brain is even engaged, if there is one there in the first place."

How on Earth can McLaren bounce back from this season? Things go from bad to worse with each race. Honda are a mess - Steve Baker

"You can say Honda is a mess. But so are McLaren. They have been a shadow of their former selves since they arrogantly stated that Lewis Hamilton would rue the day he left McLaren. Look how that has rebounded on them.

"That arrogance is still there at the top of McLaren. They are hopelessly off the pace and anyone who thinks it is just the engine is deluding themselves. The engine is a lot of it, but there are lots of other issues there.

"I personally think the day McLaren started building road cars was the day they took their eye off the ball in F1, and I will be surprised if they ever come close to winning titles again while that road car programme is still going and while the current management structure is in place.

"McLaren boss Ron Dennis sacked ex-team principal Martin Whitmarsh. But Whitmarsh never did the job of running that team as badly as Dennis is doing it now."

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is making the best of a bad situation this season at underperforming McLaren Honda

Do you think Red Bull team principal Christian Horner's idea for ex-Mercedes F1 team boss Ross Brawn to get involved with new ways of making Formula 1 more exciting is a good idea? - Jonathan Orchard

"It can't be a bad idea. He is an expert, a champion in F1 and sportscars so he knows the angles. Personally, though, I would choose Gary Anderson because he has the most pragmatic sporting brain I have ever come across in F1."

What do you think of today's Scalextric-sound-alike cars. If you think they ought to be changed, how? - Paul McCarthy

"Noise in F1 is something I grew up with and I do miss it. I thought the noise was an important part of the show and will always think that. However, I'm sure there are new people who have been enticed to the sport recently who would not know any difference. My bigger concern is how motorsport governing body the FIA went about the engine rule change, particularly the costs and the damaging effects they are having on the budgets of the smaller teams.

Does F1 have an identity crisis? - Chris Phillips

"In certain parts of the world, absolutely not. It is taking on a new face. My concern is we don't seem to have enough young people at the races. We have to make more heroes in F1, with the drivers and team principals, and make the show and the sport more appealing on a more open and global basis."

Hamilton is just 10 points clear of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the drivers' title race

Will Renault quit F1 after 2016? - ngho

"Renault president Carlos Ghosn is a tough, ruthless man, so making a decision won't be a problem for him and he will make it based on economics. Renault have been in the sport a very long time. Their previous turbo engine in the late 1970s and 1980s was amazing. This latest one is being castigated as not being remotely close to Mercedes, mostly by Red Bull. I have no doubt that there will be a divorce between Red Bull and Renault. But whether that will trigger Renault leaving the sport is another matter."

How close is the US/Qatar deal to buy out F1 owner CVC Capital Partners and will that be bye bye Bernie Ecclestone? - Matt

"Very often, these sorts of people try to keep things secret. This is different. But the people are serious and have made various sporting organisations better. If they can do that with F1, I welcome it. Certainly, some things need to change in F1 to make it longer-lasting and more exciting.

"According to Max Mosley - former president of the FIA - it would not be bye-bye Bernie. This would be, I think, the fourth time there had been a change of ownership and Bernie's position has remained at least as strong as before. How can the same person sell a business four times, cash in on the deal and never lose control or authority? That is Bernie. He is an entrepreneur in capital letters. The man is a genius when it comes to positioning himself with current and indeed new potential owners."

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone's net worth is reportedly valued at £2.7 billion

Why not introduce even distribution of revenues? - Guus van Lienen

"It is a good question. The revenue stream in F1 has always been contentious. I do believe some teams should get more for historical reasons. I was one of those who agreed that 3% off the top of the total prize fund should go to Ferrari. I felt it was the right return for Ferrari's loyalty and commitment, and the support they get from the fans.

"But I do think it is wrong that, for example, if Lotus were to win the championship, they would get significantly less money than McLaren. How can that be right? I'm not singling out McLaren. The same would apply to Red Bull.

"Where Bernie got caught out was he made an agreement with Mercedes that if they won two consecutive titles and a specific number of races in those seasons, they would get the same money as Red Bull."

If Bernie asked you how you'd change F1 for the better, where would you start, and what would you get rid of first? - Lyria

"I would make the revenue distribution more equitable and encourage GP2 teams to make the jump, instead of discouraging them with stupid rules like new teams not getting paid for three years. You wouldn't believe how good some of these teams are and how good they would be in F1. It would be nice to see pre-qualifying and teams fighting to even get the chance to be on the grid, as it was when I started."