Eddie Jordan, was probably the most flamboyant Formulation 1 group bosses within the sport’s historical past.
Rising to wealth and notoriety at a time when motorsport was a type of Wild West that includes many chancers and deal-makers, Jordan’s outspoken, over-the-top persona stood out.
He was a rogue who was typically loveable, typically dodgy, and sometimes each on the similar time.
Jordan’s arrival in a location would generally be marked by listening to a Dublin accent yelling throughout a crowd at somebody, launching an expletive-laden rant filled with insults, backed by a smile. The more severe it sounded, the extra it was a sign of his respect for the recipient.
In his early days, he offered salmon out of the again of a van within the Irish capital. The quick, witty gross sales speak he mastered there stood him in good stead all through a motor racing profession that had its share of success however was all too usually a wrestle to outlive.
Many are the folks whom Jordan betrayed alongside the best way. However by some means his character flaws had been largely indulged, and he was typically regarded with affection.
Even when behaving badly, he had a heat and humour that made it laborious to not like him – though only a few would have fully trusted him.
Drummer, financial institution clerk, kart champion, group proprietor
There was additionally a rock’n’roll facet to his character. He performed the drums in a band and had many associates within the music trade together with John Lydon, higher often known as Johnny Rotten of the Intercourse Pistols and Public Picture Ltd, and Boyzone’s Shane Lynch.
He based a Formulation 1 group out of nothing, constructed it to win races, and even in a single heady yr challenged for the championship. However he couldn’t survive for lengthy within the rarefied air on the summit of the game, and the group sank even faster than it rose.
In fact, when it was on its final legs and he offered it on, he made himself a fortune. He was all the time a canny businessman with a watch for a deal.
Maybe that’s what attracted the attention of Bernie Ecclestone, F1’s business boss all through Jordan’s profession. Ecclestone, a former second-hand automobile seller, recognised a kindred spirit and was a type of guardian angel at instances as Jordan navigated the uneven waters of being a privateer group proprietor.
Jordan first encountered motor racing on Guernsey, the place he spent the summer season of 1970 when a banking strike in Dublin meant he couldn’t work in his job as a clerk. On his return to Eire, he purchased a kart, and received the Irish championship at his first try in 1971.
He moved up into motor racing in 1974, first into Formulation Ford after which Formulation 3, solely to endure a nasty accident at Mallory Park in 1976 and badly break a leg.
In hospital, his hair fell out. On seeing this, his mom Eileen – by all accounts, a formidable girl – procured him a wig, and demanded he put on it.
He by no means appeared with out one once more. Though there was the odd time within the early days when future grand prix driver Gerhard Berger, a famend sensible joker, would sneak up behind Jordan with a high-pressure air line, and blow the hairpiece off his head.
Jordan resumed his profession, however by 1979 he was struggling to seek out cash to pursue it, and he turned to group possession.
‘Welcome to the Piranha Membership’
Eddie Jordan Racing achieved appreciable success in F3 and F3000 via the Nineteen Eighties. And he helped launch the profession of many top-level drivers together with Eddie Irvine, Johnny Herbert, Jean Alesi, Martin Brundle and Damon Hill.
By the tip of the last decade, he had his sights on F1. He employed engineer Gary Anderson to create the automobile, and he and his small group produced the Jordan 191, a sublime design now thought to be probably the most lovely grand prix vehicles in historical past.
Regardless of having two journeyman drivers in Italian veteran Andrea de Cesaris and Belgian novice Bertrand Gachot, the group instantly punched above their weight with a sequence of eye-catching performances. However the defining second of the yr got here on the Belgian Grand Prix.
Jordan wanted a substitute for Gachot, who had been despatched to jail within the UK for utilizing CS gasoline in an altercation with a London taxi driver. Mercedes supplied him £150,000 to discipline their protege Michael Schumacher. The German was a direct sensation.
Spa-Francorchamps is thought to be one of many world’s most demanding circuits, and Schumacher had by no means pushed round it earlier than. But he certified the automobile seventh – 4 locations and greater than 0.7 seconds forward of De Cesaris.
A clutch failure on the primary lap induced Schumacher’s retirement, however Jordan left Spa optimistic about what may very well be for his group with this good younger driver within the cockpit.
The issue was, Jordan had not tied down Schumacher correctly, and the rival Benetton group swooped, with just a little assist from Ecclestone – who knew about Jordan’s monetary difficulties as they navigated their first season, and wished this apparent new star in a extra profitable, secure and safe surroundings.
By the subsequent race, the Italian Grand Prix, Schumacher was a Benetton driver. McLaren boss Ron Dennis sympathised, after a style, with Jordan, saying to him: “Welcome to the Piranha Membership.” The phrase has entered the lexicon, so good is it in summing up the ruthlessness of the F1 enterprise surroundings.
In determined want of a money injection, Jordan switched from his off-the-shelf Cosworth engine to a manufacturing facility take care of Yamaha for its V12 for 1992.
However the engine was heavy, thirsty and unreliable, and a tough season adopted earlier than Jordan ditched the Yamaha for a privateer Hart engine.
Rubens Barrichello grew to become a fixture within the cockpit, because the Brazilian introduced a helpful price range alongside together with his apparent expertise. For 1994, he was joined by Northern Eire’s Irvine, who had made a headline-grabbing debut in Japan on the finish of 1993.
Irvine’s outspoken, insouciant character fitted nicely with the group. In Suzuka, he had un-lapped himself on race chief Ayrton Senna’s McLaren whereas the pair battled HIll’s Williams within the moist.
And Irvine’s lippy dismissiveness when confronted by Senna complaining concerning the incident after the race led the three-time champion to punch him.
When Jordan had been in title competition
Jordan earned himself a tidy packet by promoting Irvine to Ferrari to hitch Schumacher on the finish of 1995, and shortly a sequence of dominoes began to fall that made Jordan main contenders for some time.
Jordan had taken works Peugeot engines for 1995 after they had been solid off by McLaren after only one season. That helped them appeal to a serious title sponsorship from tobacco firm Benson & Hedges. Funding modified from being desperately sought to one thing that may very well be used for funding.
For 1997, Jordan wished Hill, after he was dumped by Williams regardless of profitable the world title on the finish of 1996. Hill demurred, and made the error of becoming a member of Arrows as a substitute.
However he did signal for 1998, changing Giancarlo Fisichella because the team-mate of Ralf Schumacher, youthful brother of Michael, with whom Hill had fought tense title battles in 1994 and 1995.
Together with Hill, Jordan had additionally secured a provide of Mugen Honda engines, extra highly effective and dependable than the Peugeots, and the companies of extremely regarded designer Mike Gascoyne.
After a disappointing begin, Anderson left mid-season, and the group started to achieve in competitiveness.
after Michael Schumacher crashed out in his Ferrari after colliding with David Coulthard’s McLaren, the Jordan drivers discovered themselves operating one-two, Hill within the lead. Jordan averted a possible on-track drama by telling them to carry place, however created an off-track one.
The choice led to a go to from an sad Michael Schumacher to inform Jordan he had been unfair to not let his brother race for the win – ironic, contemplating the German’s standing as Ferrari’s primary.
For 1999, Ralf Schumacher was tempted away by Williams, and their driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen went the opposite means. It grew to become Jordan’s most profitable season.
As Hill pale into uncompetitiveness, Frentzen received two races and emerged as an unlikely title contender, however a weird retirement when main the European Grand Prix on the Nurburgring ended their hopes.
The group had discovered a intelligent – and doubtful – means to make use of anti-stall as launch management. However Frentzen forgot to show off the system as he left the pits from his cease for gasoline and tyres, and that triggered a security system that lower the engine. Jordan had been by no means to be so aggressive once more.
How Jordan made one final massive deal
Over the succeeding years, Anderson rejoined, drivers got here and went, there have been fights over engine provide, and the cash started to dry up. However there was another win – for Fisichella within the chaotically moist Brazilian Grand Prix of 2003.
McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen was declared the winner after a large crash introduced the race to a halt, however the officers had missed that Fischella had truly been main on the essential level – and the trophy was handed over at a ceremony on the following race in Imola.
Monetary troubles worsened in 2004 and late within the yr Ecclestone launched Jordan to the Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider. Six weeks later, in January 2005, the group was offered for $60m.
The deal made Jordan safe for all times, however on the day he signed it he was in tears within the workplace of business director Ian Phillips, who had been with the group from the beginning.
4 years later, Jordan was again on the scene as an outspoken tv pundit for BBC Sport, after the company received again the rights to F1, and he developed a status for being concerned in breaking massive tales.
These included Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 with Mercedes in 2010, and that Lewis Hamilton was certain for a similar group for 2013.
In reality, the Hamilton story was extra collaborative than was admitted, to guard sources, and Jordan’s involvement was not as singular as was introduced on the time.
He stayed on board as protection switched to Channel 4 from 2016, albeit showing with reducing regularity. However, deal-maker as ever, Jordan was all the time working behind the scenes, and in 2024 he pulled his final grasp deal.
Now performing because the supervisor of his buddy Adrian Newey, Jordan negotiated an exit from Crimson Bull for F1’s biggest ever designer, and a five-year take care of Aston Martin for a wage that might attain £30m with add-ons and bonuses.
The irony was unmissable – Aston Martin is the newest iteration of the group Jordan had based. It had handed via varied identify adjustments and homeowners to finish up with the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who has constructed a brand new manufacturing facility on the positioning Jordan had used since 1991.
Not lengthy after the Newey deal was sealed, Jordan revealed in December 2024 that he was being handled for aggressive prostate most cancers, although that didn’t cease him in early 2025.
He’s survived by his spouse Marie, and their 4 youngsters, Zoe, Miki, Zak and Kyle.
