The whole world of motorsport is mourning the loss of Eddie Jordan. The former team owner passed away in the early hours of March 20th, at the age of 76, surrounded by his family. He revealed last year that he had been battling an aggressive form of bladder and prostate cancer.
Jordan was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1948. His passion for racing began in the 1970s when he competed in Formula Ford and Formula 3. Although he didn’t stand out as a racer, that was soon to change when he became a team owner and talent scout.
In 1991, he founded Jordan Grand Prix, a team we can remember for many characteristics today including Iconic liveries, but also being the team that saw a debut of certain young driver named Michael Schumacher. The launch of the career of later to become a seven-time world champion was a mix of luck, opportunity but also perfect timing.
Before the Belgian GP, their regular driver, Bertrand Gachot, was jailed and Eddie Jordan had to find a last-minute replacement. Schumacher had never driven an F1 car before, but Mercedes offered Jordan $150,000 to give him a shot anyway and Willi Weber, Schumacher’s manager, convinced Jordan he knew Spa well for racing there many times – which was a blatant lie.
Years later, Jordan admitted that when he lost Schumacher to Benetton, it was a huge blow that left him thinking about all what-ifs.
Jordan’s team scored many achievements, nonetheless. His first team victory came at the Belgian GP in 1998 with Damon Hill. Although no Irish driver has ever won a Formula 1 race, Eddie Jordan’s team made history by playing Amhrán na bhFiann, the Irish national anthem, on the F1 podium, filling Ireland with pride.
After selling his team in 2005, Eddie stayed an important part of the sport. He became a popular TV pundit, known for his bold opinions, colourful personality, but also insights into the racing world.
Besides working for BBC and Channel 4, he also teamed up another former driver David Coulthard at the Formula for Success podcast, where they discussed Formula 1 topics including insider info and sometimes even debate-spiking controveries.
Outside of racing, he was known for his generous spirit and dedication to charity. He organized annual fundraisers at the Royal Windsor Racecourse in support of CLIC Sargent, a charity helping children with cancer. He was also a patron of Amber Foundation, a youth charity.
Eddie Jordan’s left a lasting legacy on the sport, not just as a team owner, but a mentor, a risk-taker, a businessman and a character who helped to shape the careers of some of F1’s greatest stars including Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill.