S Poddar
Homages across the global Formula One community have been flowing in since the death of Eddie Jordan at the age of 76. The flamboyant Irishman, famous for his colorful personality and huge enthusiasm for motor sport, overcame the odds to found and manage the independent Jordan Grand Prix team. Under his leadership, the team also recorded spectacular triumphs such as four grand prix wins. Part of his legacy is to give Michael Schumacher his inaugural ride in F1 and giving Damon Hill his finest winning moment.
In December last year, Jordan announced he had been diagnosed with prostate and bladder cancer, which had advanced to his spine and pelvis. On Thursday morning, his family made the sad announcement that he had died peacefully at his Cape Town home.
“EJ had an abundance of charm, energy, and Irish flair wherever he went,” his family said. “We all have a great void missing with him. He will be sorely missed by so many individuals, but he has left us tonnes of fantastic memories to keep us smiling in our grief.”
Hill, who won Jordan’s first F1 victory at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1998, referred to him as a legend.
“Eddie was a genius and a maverick at the same time. He had the energy of 100 men. He brought so much pleasure and had an enormous heart. There will only ever be one EJ,” he added. “He stamped his mark on the sport. He made something out of nothing, climbed the ranks by applying his street smarts and guile. And, by his own words, it wasn’t down to his physical looks but because he was irrepressible.”.
“He had a knack of getting himself into your life. He was incredible and brilliant. He had a great family and he enriched life everywhere around him. My sympathies are with them. The sport has lost a true legend and we have lost a true friend.”
Jordan was a formidable presence in F1, known for his relentless deal-making, sharp wit, and unfiltered honesty. A self-made man, he refused to be intimidated by the dominant forces in the sport. His team, built from the ground up, reached impressive heights, even contending for championship positions during its run from 1991 to 2005.
Prior to his life as a team owner, Jordan was a driver himself, taking the Irish kart championship on his first try in 1971. A Formula 3 crash in 1976 prompted him to change direction, and by 1979 he had transitioned into team management. Eddie Jordan Racing flourished in Formula 3000 and Formula 3 under his direction, developing future stars like Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine, and Martin Brundle.
By 1987, his staff had expanded from a mere 12 employees to 50 as Jordan aimed to enter Formula One. With an unerring ability to spot talent, he hired engineer Gary Anderson to create the team’s first F1 car, the 191, a beautiful and competitive car that established the tone for Jordan’s aggressive and innovative style.
One of his most notable acts was signing Schumacher in 1991 when a seat suddenly opened up prior to the Belgian Grand Prix. The young German’s brilliant qualifying performance raised eyebrows straight away, although a mechanical issue brought an early end to his race. Jordan had hoped to keep him, but Schumacher was quickly signed up by Benetton. The experience was a hard baptism in F1’s cutthroat environment, succinctly described by McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who said to him, “Welcome to the Piranha Club.
In spite of the setbacks, Jordan’s resolve never faltered. He won a big sponsorship contract with Benson & Hedges in 1996, and the team was able to make huge strides. In 1998, with a competitive Honda engine, a good driver lineup with Hill and Ralf Schumacher, and a very talented designer in Mike Gascoyne, Jordan finally achieved their first grand prix win—a dramatic one-two finish at a rain-soaked Spa.
The next season was the team’s best, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen scoring two victories and propelling Jordan to third in the constructors’ championship. However, financial issues started to get the better of them, and though they achieved one last victory at the anarchic 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, the team’s competitiveness was on the decline.
Realizing the escalating financial expectations of F1, Jordan sold his team to Midland in 2006 for $60 million, marking the end of an era. The outfit later transformed into Spyker, Force India, and Racing Point before they were rebranded as Aston Martin in 2021, still running from the same Silverstone compound Jordan originally founded.
The CEO of Formula One, Stefano Domenicali, honored Jordan’s profound contribution to the sport.
We are all shocked to hear of the untimely passing of Eddie Jordan,” he stated. “With his boundless energy, he never failed to put a smile on people’s faces, always true and brilliant in every way. Eddie has been a hero of an F1 era, and he will be sorely missed. At this time of grief, my and the whole Formula One family’s thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal and one who at one time negotiated with Jordan the purchase of his team, joined in paying respects.
“Saddened to hear Eddie Jordan has sadly passed. Eddie was a huge character that I first met in 1991 as a young driver at his then-new factory after his first season in Formula One. His advice: ‘Get a good sponsor … welcome to the Piranha Club,'” he said. “Formula One has lost a legend, and we will miss his wit and his Irish charm.”
The FIA, motorsport’s governing body, echoed these sentiments.
“Eddie Jordan was a Formula One legend. He made a priceless contribution to international motor sport during his lifetime,” their statement said. “We at the FIA would like to extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends at this very sad time. Eddie will be remembered forever as a great sportsman and dedicated ambassador for Formula One on and off the circuit.”
Despite selling his team, Jordan was still very much a part of the sport, acting as an honest and humorous TV commentator for the BBC and Channel 4. He subsequently became manager to star designer Adrian Newey, assisting in his transfer from Red Bull to Aston Martin, the same team that had evolved from Jordan’s original venture.
Jordan’s influence on Formula One extends beyond the success of his team. He was a larger-than-life figure who added humour, passion, and a shrewd business acumen to the paddock. As a maverick team owner, talent-spotters, and commentator, his legacy will be felt in the sport for generations to come. His death creates an irreplaceable gap, but the anecdotes and achievements he created mean that he can never be forgotten.
