Eddie Jordan’s death leaves a chasm for those who watched F1 in the 1990s and 2000s.
Eddie Jordan will be remembered as one of the sport’s most influential personalities. Running the team bearing his name from 1991 to 2005, his contribution to F1 during his tenure is cemented in history.
From giving Michael Schumacher his first drive, to securing the signature of Damon Hill, Jordan’s career is full of iconic moments.
Famously straight-talking with a tongue-in-cheek wink for good measure, many fans recall his team, and his achievements.
His team is the last true independent outfit to grace F1. With today’s mighty financial backing non existent, Jordan relied on tobacco sponsorship to operate.
But spiralling costs would see him sell the team in 2005. However, his legacy remains on the grid to this day.
1991 – first foray into F1
The Jordan team arrived on the grid in 1991, after Jordan’s entrepreneurial spirit secured the funding to jump up from Formula 3000.
in what can only be described as one of F1’s most iconic cars. Donning a stunning green and livery courtesy of title sponsor 7UP, the Jordan 191 was competitive, surprising opponents.
Designed by Gary Anderson, it featured a simple yet effective W-style front wing and clean aerodynamics. Jordan drafted in F1 veteran Andrea de Cesaris and relative newcomer Bertrand Gachot to drive his inaugural car. Ever quick to make a deal, he negotiated a Cosworth V8 to run ahead of the season.
As a new entrant, Jordan faced the perils of pre-qualifying. With over 40 cars vying for just 26 places, this trial by fire prevented dangerously slow cars from taking to the grid.
De Cesaris suffered multiple issues with his Cosworth engine, and failed to progress. Gachot had no such problems. Although he too retired with engine trouble, he ran on the fringes of the points.
The 191 quickly established itself as an underdog car, but capable of strong results. A double points finish in Canada cemented the team as an outfit to watch for the future.
How an assault led to Michael Schumacher’s debut
But Jordan’s season could have rapidly unravelled in the build up to the Belgian Grand Prix. Gachot received a two-month prison sentence in the UK for spraying gas at a taxi driver. This left Jordan with an empty seat and little time to fill it.
His actions and decisions launched the career of one of F1’s successful and iconic drivers. Speaking to F1-Insider in 2021, Jordan recalls the incident, and the intervention of Mercedes racing director Jochen Neerpasch in opting against a driver he had an agreement with.
In an example of the strange world that was F1 in the 1990s, Jordan also confirmed then F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s assistance in getting the team out of trouble.
“My Belgian driver, Bertrand Gachot, was in prison in London (after attacking a taxi driver with tear gas; ed.). So I had previously made a kind of preliminary agreement with another Belgian driver.
But then Mercedes racing director Jochen Neerpasch suddenly came up with the idea of letting his junior, Michael Schumacher, drive until the end of the season. I demanded money for it, around 150,000 pounds. So Michael came to Spa, and the Belgian had the team seized by court order. Luckily, Bernie Ecclestone stepped in and gave me the money.”
An unbelievable qualifying session saw Schumacher line up seventh. Although retiring on the first lap with clutch failure, he made an immediate impression.
Benetton boss Flavio Briatore set eyes on the young German. Jordan fought hard to keep Schumacher, but ultimately lost out.
After the race in Belgium, Bernie (Ecclestone; ed.) fell in love with him. And Neerpasch also thought Jordan wasn’t the right team for the prodigy. He really embarrassed me. He subsequently changed the contract by changing one word. I hated him back then, but today I have to say: Without him and Mercedes, there would never have been a Schumacher in Formula 1. In any case, I fought tooth and nail before the Italian GP. But Bernie had me under control because he had given me the money in Belgium 14 days earlier. He said: “Eddie, I need a strong German, absolutely, and with Schumacher, I have him. He’ll drive for Benetton from now on. I’ll find a solution.”
With his team’s future secured, the 191 secured Jordan sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Jordan signed a deal with Yamaha for 1992 and 1993. These seasons were not as successful as his debut year.
Imola 1994: The Barrichello crash and an unfulfilled dream
For 1994, Jordan secured a deal with Hart, and the team had stability in its driver line up after six drivers had races with the team in the previous two years.
Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine took over the Jordan seats full-time, in a season that would be marred by the tragic death of Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Eddie Jordan’s team did not escape the horror of that weekend, with Barrichello enduring a high speed crash at the Variante Basa chicane. His B194 hit a tyre wall head on, shoving his head forward onto his cockpit. Knocked out, he escaped with bandaged arm and cut lip.
Like many in the paddock, the death of Senna affected Jordan. His friendship and respect for the legendary Brazilian almost led to co-owning a team with Senna. Speaking on his Formula for Success podcast:
He was disillusioned at McLaren. It was before he went to Williams, he just wasn’t happy,” Jordan explained.
“He was disillusioned at McLaren. It was before he went to Williams, he just wasn’t happy.
“Believe this or not, but I offered him 50%, free of charge, to come and drive for Jordan, but he would have to stay on as an owner, because I believed, with Senna in the team, the actual value of the team would more than double.
“So, in other words, the half that I was losing – I thought this would be such a cool stroke.
“First, I get a guy like Senna in my car, get the team, the recognition of the team, the sponsorship income would multiply by an amazing amount.”
Sadly, Senna’s tragic death at Imola in 1994 put an end to Jordan’s dream of teaming up with the great Brazilian.
“I always liked Ayrton and it should have happened but, suddenly, he died.
“Now I’m not saying that he would have done it. But we were very far into the negotiations about what he wanted to do.
“He wanted to have a team and I was giving him that opportunity.”
Despite the tragedy, positives could be found in 1994. His team picked up its first podium in Canada, and its first pole position, courtesy of Barrichello.
Discovering and nurturing talent with tough love
Eddie Jordan’s cars also began donning distinctive yellow liveries that remain a fan favourite today. The sake added to the front of the nose cone may not have evoked the fear intended, but it was certainly as unique as the team owner.
Jordan had a knack for bringing in and developing talent. This ideology began to bear fruit immediately, with the signing of Barrichello and Irvine.
However, it was in 1997 that he made his biggest gamble. He decided on a young driver line-up of Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher.
The two young guns proved hard to manage, but the Peugeot deal signed back in 1995 had, at last, produced an engine capable of challenging for victories.
Speaking on Formula for Success, Jordan recalled an incident where his drivers collided at the Nurburgring:
“The ’97 car was particularly strong and I get the impression that when Giancarlo was in second place, he wasn’t prepared to give it up for Ralf because he was much quicker, and he came to the hairpin and they ran into each other.
“I went absolutely ballistic. Even the most liberal country in the world would have censored what I said, I was so vicious with them. I told them that they were two total w*nkers. Said that they didn’t deserve to be in the car and I was going sack them when I got them back.
In the aftermath of the crash, Jordan revealed his approach to make his drivers understand the severity of their misdemeanour:
“I made them sit for a week while they repaired the cars in the garage, in the factory and I made sure they came to England and they had to put in the same amount of hours and times as the mechanics did because I wanted them to see the pain that they had put on the rest of the team.
“Not even talking about the financial stress or pain, but just the aggravation that they put the team through unnecessarily.”
His handling of his young drivers reflects his passion for his team, including all those at the factory. Jordan never shied away from making difficult decisions and was a revered leader.
1998 and 1999: the first win and an unlikely championship bid
But it was in 1998 that Jordan’s team took its first step towards success. The signing of 1996 world champion Damon Hill was a huge coup, and demonstrated intent.
The first half of the season became disastrous, with no points on the board. The inexperienced Ralf Schumacher spun out of the first race on the opening lap, while Hill’s speed seemed to have abandoned him.
Eddie Jordan found himself in a dream scenario at the rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix. Hill nailed the second start after the pile up at the first to lead the race. After losing out to Schumacher, he regained it after David Coulthard and Schumacher’s infamous collision.
The final 10 laps were stressful, as young Ralf Schumacher wanted to fight with Hill for victory. Hill suggested team orders to secure the one-two finish. Jordan agreed and Hill took a famous victory, but this came at the cost of Schumacher, who left for Williams for 1999.
With a seat to fill, Jordan signed Heinz Harald Frentzen in a direct driver swap with Williams. His faith in the ousted German proved justfied as he took two victories. The first at the rain-soaked French GP was fortuitous but deserved after a fantastic strategy.
The second at the Italian GP was Jordan’s first and only dry win, setting the stage for an unlikely championship bid with just few races left
But in a disaster, Frentzen failed to switch off the anti-stall system out of the pits at the Nurburgring, and he ground to a halt, ending his slim hopes.
A final victory and decline
2000 should have been the year Jordan launched a sustained title bid. But reliability from Honda and internally declined dramatically.
The arrival of British American Racing’s Honda deal placed Jordan in a difficult position. Honda opted to drop Jordan at the end of 2002, despite the arrival of Takuma Sato at the team. Instead, Jordan was forced to sign with Ford.
The final victory came at Brazil in 2003, courtesy of the returning Giancarlo Fisichella. But in true Jordan style this was dramatic and full of intrigue.
Initially, Fisichella was classified second due to the FIA rule mandating a race result is taken two laps prior to a red flag.
The stewards incorrectly awarded the McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen the victory. However, upon investigation by then Race Director Charlie Whiting, Fisichella was rightfully awarded the win. # A rather awkward ceremony was arranged on the grid Imola.
By this time Jordan had begun to suffer badly due to the spiralling costs of F1. Eddie Jordan lobbied hard for lower costs, but ultimately had to sell his beloved team at the end of 2004.
The team he found evolved over the years and has now morphed into Aston Martin. It is fitting that Aston Martin can trace its existence back to a plucky team in the 1990s.
Jordan’s TV punditry, podcast and business dealings kept him busy in recent years. But to many, he will be remembered as one of F1’s most iconic team owners.
F1 has lost one of its most important and vibrant figures. Many will miss him, including those who watched the team take its first win while watching on their parent’s TV and VHS combo. A true icon of his time.
Feature Image Credit: @F1 on X
