Eddie Jordan, the rock 'n' roll team principal who launched Michael Schumacher into F1, dies

The world Formula 1 has lost one of its most colorful characters. Eddie Jordan died on March 20 at the age of 76, his family announced. The Irishman had been battling devastating prostate and bladder cancer for several months. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Eddie Jordan OBE, the former Formula 1 team owner, television commentator and entrepreneur. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side in Cape Town in the early hours of March 20, 2025.

Besides his floral shirts and rock concerts in the paddock, Eddie Jordan will be remembered by fans for having founded and managed the Jordan Grand Prix team in 1991. A modest-sized team that emerged from an entity present in F2, she distinguished herself from her first year of presence in Formula 1 by the sublime car Jordan 191 designed by Gary Anderson. It is on board that Michael Schumacher competed in his first ever F1 Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in August 1991. The German had been recruited as a replacement for Bertrand Gachot, who was imprisoned in England following an altercation with a London taxi driver. His seventh place in qualifying was followed by a retirement on the first lap due to a mechanical problem, and "Schumi" immediately went to Benetton for the remainder of the 1991 season.

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Eddie Jordan then went through the 1990s, alternating between flashes of brilliance and desert crossings. The arrival of the yellow and black Benson & Hedges livery symbolized a resurgence in the forefront, embodied by Damon Hill and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The duo got along wonderfully and allowed Jordan Grand Prix to compete for podiums, then victories in 1998 and 1999. It won a first epic Grand Prix in the Belgian rain in 1998, and scored a 3rd place in the Constructors' Championship the following year: this would be its best result.

Damon Hill at the 1999 British GP. Photo DPPI

Jordan Grand Prix would subsequently experience a slow decline marked by a loss of sponsors and paying drivers who were not among the elite. A final victory, again achieved in torrential rain, in Brazil by Giancarlo Fisichella served as the final chapter for the Yellows. Eddie Jordan sold his team to Russian businessman Alexander Shnaider in 2005, who renamed the team Midland F1 Racing.

For his part, Eddie Jordan became a consultant to the British media until the end of the 2010s. He hosts a podcast, "Formula for Success" in which he announces in 2024 that he has cancer. “In March and April, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer, and then it spread to my spine and pelvis, so it was quite aggressive. " he revealed in December 2024.

F1 President Stefano Domenicali issued a statement within minutes of Eddie Jordan's death being announced. “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Eddie Jordan. With his boundless energy, he always knew how to make people smile, always remaining authentic and brilliant. Eddie was the protagonist of an era in F1 and he will be greatly missed. At this time of sadness, my thoughts and those of the entire Formula 1 family are with his family and loved ones.”

AUTOhebdo extends its sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.