Eddie Jordan, the flamboyant and fiercely impartial Method One crew proprietor, businessman, and TV pundit, has handed away on the age of 76.
A bigger-than-life determine in motorsport, Jordan was finest identified for founding the Jordan Grand Prix crew, which introduced a refreshing, rebellious vitality to F1 within the Nineteen Nineties. His eye for expertise helped launch the careers of among the sport’s best drivers, together with Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine.
Born in Dublin in 1948, Jordan’s adolescence was formed by his sharp enterprise instincts and love for racing. Abandoning a profession in banking, he threw himself into motorsport, beginning as a driver in Method Ford earlier than shifting to crew administration. His shrewd deal-making expertise stored his groups afloat in a sport more and more dominated by huge producers and company giants.
In 1991, his Jordan Grand Prix crew made a shocking F1 debut, and whereas monetary struggles have been fixed, the outfit turned identified for its daring strikes—most notably giving a little-known Michael Schumacher his first break in Method One. Although Schumacher was swiftly poached by Benetton, it was a testomony to Jordan’s capability to identify uncooked expertise.
Regardless of battling in opposition to better-funded groups, Jordan’s operation scored its first F1 victory in 1998 with Damon Hill on the Belgian Grand Prix. A yr later, Jordan’s crew reached its peak, ending third within the constructors’ championship behind solely Ferrari and McLaren. His automobiles, emblazoned with daring sponsors comparable to 7Up and Benson & Hedges, have been as placing as the person himself.
However as F1 turned more and more company, Jordan discovered himself on the again foot. He bought his crew in 2005, marking the tip of an period for impartial groups within the sport. Nonetheless, he remained a outstanding and outspoken determine, later transitioning into TV punditry, the place his trademark charisma and no-nonsense method gained him a brand new legion of followers.
Outdoors of racing, Jordan was a serial entrepreneur, investing in ventures starting from soccer and rugby golf equipment to luxurious yachts. He was additionally a devoted philanthropist, supporting most cancers charities and mentoring younger folks with troubled backgrounds.
By no means one to mix into the background, Jordan lived life at full throttle—whether or not it was partying with rock stars, making enterprise offers over crimson wine, or telling Bernie Ecclestone precisely what he thought. His larger-than-life persona, relentless ambition, and knack for reinvention made him probably the most charming figures in trendy motorsport.
Eddie Jordan, Method One crew proprietor, businessman, and TV pundit, was born on 30 March 1948 and handed away on 20 March 2025, aged 76.
