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He was one of the most iconic figures of 1990s F1, the kind whose genius and unruliness do not go unnoticed. At the age of 76, Edmund Patrick Jordan, known to all as Eddie, passed away due to bladder cancer. Irish to the core and with a great passion for alcoholic beverages, as is often the case in those parts, he began to take his first steps in motorsport in 1971, a bit like everyone else, in karts, graduating immediately as national champion, before moving in 1974 to Formula Ford and in 1976 to Formula 3, where, however, he broke his leg and was forced to give up for a lengthy period. Returning the following year to Formula Atlantic, he was successful in the same series in 1978 and later made a few appearances in British Formula 3 and Formula 2.
The racing career, however, was squeezing the flamboyant Dubliner, and so, and thanks to several hours spent as a clerk at the Mullingar office of the Bank of Ireland, he decided to throw himself into the business world, applied, of course, to four wheels. 1979 was the big moment, that of the founding of Eddie Jordan Racing which took part in minor local racing categories. Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert were among the first signings, but the real turning point came with the 1989 victory in the European Formula 3000 championship with a certain Jean Alesi.
This was 1991, a turning-point for the manager. Thanks to his management skills he succeeded in arriving in Formula 1 founding Jordan Grand Prix. The single-seater, called Jordan 191, was given to Italian Andrea de Cesaris and Bertand Gachot. The results were respectable considering that it was a fledgling team, but then the unthinkable happened. The Luxembourg rider was arrested for a fight with a taxi driver in central London and had to do eleven months in jail. Suddenly without a driver, he set out to find a replacement, which he found in the figure of Michael Schumacher, a promising young German linked to Mercedes with whom he raced in the sports-prototype championship and who stayed with him for only the Belgian GP, since Flavio Briatore, intrigued by this promising 22-year-old, decided to snap him up immediately at Benetton.
Since then a life spent in the middle of the standings, with a best placing, wouldn't you know it, right at Spa in 1998 with Damon Hill first and Schumi's brother Ralf, second. 1999 was the climax of the World Championship, with two wins in the bag, a third place among the constructors and Heinz-Harald Frentzen third in the overall drivers' standings.
Amid financial troubles and unsatisfactory performance, Jordan's experience as the owner of a team in the top class of motorsports came to an end in 2004 with its sale to the Midland Group, which, however, decided to run the 2005 season retaining the old name.
A born entrepreneur, he initiated activities and partnerships just about everywhere and in the most diverse fields, in addition to following GPs in the role of expert commentator for British TV. He had recently spoken out on Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, first calling the presentation photo at Fiorano iconic, showing the Stevenage ace in a smart dark coat, and then endorsing the Prancing Horse's move while believing that Leclerc would benefit from his long period in the scuderia at the start of the season. After just one race that actually saw the Monegasque driver in better shape than his new teammate, he was gone. And who knows if he will now follow the whole affair from another dimension.
