Eddie Jordan, was probably the most flamboyant Method 1 crew 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 character stood out.
He was a rogue who was generally loveable, generally 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 stuffed 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 bought salmon out of the again of a van within the Irish capital. The quick, witty gross sales discuss he mastered there stood him in good stead all through a motor racing profession that had its share of success however was all too typically a battle to outlive.
Many are the individuals whom Jordan betrayed alongside the best way. However in some way his character flaws have been largely indulged, and he was usually regarded with affection.
Even when behaving badly, he had a heat and humour that made it exhausting to not like him – though only a few would have fully trusted him.
Drummer, financial institution clerk, kart champion, crew 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 called Johnny Rotten of the Intercourse Pistols and Public Picture Ltd, and Boyzone’s Shane Lynch.
He based a Method 1 crew out of nothing, constructed it to win races, and even in a single heady 12 months challenged for the championship. However he couldn’t survive for lengthy within the rarefied air on the summit of the game, and the crew sank even faster than it rose.
After all, when it was on its final legs and he bought it on, he made himself a fortune. He was all the time a canny businessman with an eye fixed for a deal.
Maybe that’s what attracted the attention of Bernie Ecclestone, F1’s industrial boss all through Jordan’s profession. Ecclestone, a former second-hand automotive supplier, recognised a kindred spirit and was a type of guardian angel at instances as Jordan navigated the uneven waters of being a privateer crew 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 gained the Irish championship at his first try in 1971.
He moved up into motor racing in 1974, first into Method Ford after which Method 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 search out cash to pursue it, and he turned to crew possession.
‘Welcome to the Piranha Membership’
Eddie Jordan Racing achieved appreciable success in F3 and F3000 by the 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 top of the last decade, he had his sights on F1. He employed engineer Gary Anderson to create the automotive, and he and his small crew produced the Jordan 191, a sublime design now thought to be probably the most stunning grand prix vehicles in historical past.
Regardless of having two journeyman drivers in Italian veteran Andrea de Cesaris and Belgian novice Bertrand Gachot, the crew instantly punched above their weight with a collection of eye-catching performances. However the defining second of the 12 months got here on the Belgian Grand Prix.
Jordan wanted a alternative for Gachot, who had been despatched to jail within the UK for utilizing CS gasoline in an altercation with a London taxi driver. Mercedes provided 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 automotive seventh – 4 locations and greater than 0.7 seconds forward of De Cesaris.
A clutch failure on the primary lap prompted Schumacher’s retirement, however Jordan left Spa optimistic about what might be for his crew with this good younger driver within the cockpit.
The issue was, Jordan had not tied down Schumacher correctly, and the rival Benetton crew swooped, with somewhat assist from Ecclestone – who knew about Jordan’s monetary difficulties as they navigated their first season, and needed this apparent new star in a extra profitable, steady and safe setting.
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 setting.
In determined want of a money injection, Jordan switched from his off-the-shelf Cosworth engine to a manufacturing unit 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 turned a fixture within the cockpit, because the Brazilian introduced a useful funds 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 effectively with the crew. 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 have 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 collection of dominoes began to fall that made Jordan main contenders for some time.
Jordan had taken works Peugeot engines for 1995 once they have been solid off by McLaren after only one season. That helped them entice a serious title sponsorship from tobacco firm Benson & Hedges. Funding modified from being desperately sought to one thing that might be used for funding.
For 1997, Jordan needed Hill, after he was dumped by Williams regardless of successful 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 providers of extremely regarded designer Mike Gascoyne.
After a disappointing begin, Anderson left mid-season, and the crew started to realize in competitiveness.
after Michael Schumacher crashed out in his Ferrari after colliding with David Coulthard’s McLaren, the Jordan drivers discovered themselves working one-two, Hill within the lead. Jordan prevented 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 turned Jordan’s most profitable season.
As Hill pale into uncompetitiveness, Frentzen gained 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 crew 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 gas and tyres, and that triggered a security system that reduce the engine. Jordan have been by no means to be so aggressive once more.
How Jordan made one final huge 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 an enormous crash introduced the race to a halt, however the officers had missed that Fischella had really 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 12 months Ecclestone launched Jordan to the Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider. Six weeks later, in January 2005, the crew was bought 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 crew from the beginning.
4 years later, Jordan was again on the scene as an outspoken tv pundit for BBC Sport, after the company gained again the rights to F1, and he developed a status for being concerned in breaking huge tales.
These included Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 with Mercedes in 2010, and that Lewis Hamilton was sure for a similar crew for 2013.
In fact, the Hamilton story was extra collaborative than was admitted, to guard sources, and Jordan’s involvement was not as singular as was offered 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 appearing because the supervisor of his good friend Adrian Newey, Jordan negotiated an exit from Purple Bull for F1’s biggest ever designer, and a five-year take care of Aston Martin for a wage that would attain £30m with add-ons and bonuses.
The irony was unmissable – Aston Martin is the most recent iteration of the crew Jordan had based. It had handed by numerous identify modifications and homeowners to finish up with the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who has constructed a brand new manufacturing unit on the location 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.
