Former F1 Boss Eddie Jordan Dies at the Age of 76

Eddie Jordan, of Formula 1 fame, has died at the age of 76. The sad news was revealed in a statement from his family on the 20th of March 2025 which read “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Eddie Jordan OBE, the ex-Formula 1 team owner, TV pundit and entrepreneur. He passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town in the early hours of 20 March 2025.”

Jordan was born in Dublin on the 30th of March 1948 and was the co-owner of the London Irish rugby club at the time of his death. He was a big, flamboyant character, known by most people due to his links with Formula 1, with that sport sure to honour him. His death came shortly after the first Grand Prix of the 2025 season and it is likely there will be some recognition of his contribution to the sport during the second race, scheduled to take place in Shanghai on the 23rd of March.

Image credit: Paul Williams, flickr.

Early Career as a Driver

Jordan began kart racing in the early 1970s and made it as far as Formula Three, having first competed at Formula Ford level. He tried his hand at different types of motorsport, including taking part in the Le Mans 24-hour race of 1981, but enjoyed only limited success.

He was not quite good enough and did not have any real connections or financial backing in the sport initially. However, it was a sport that he had fallen in love with, and that passion was evident throughout the rest of his life, both as a team boss and then media pundit.

Eddie Jordan Racing is Born

In 1979, or 1980 depending on the source, the charismatic Irishman founded Eddie Jordan Racing – what other name would a man like Jordan opt for? With very limited funds he was always up against it, competing against much bigger, richer, teams, but slowly Jordan and his team found their way.

His commercial savvy and ability to schmooze people helped his team gain valuable sponsorship deals. Over time he established strong relationships with others in and around the sport and by keeping tight control of the budget, being smart, and focussing on the more affordable end of the sport, his team was able to gain a foothold in the world he had fallen in love with.

Jordan Grand Prix

Credit: Andy Whittle, flickr

One of Jordan’s strengths was spotting young racing talent and being prepared to give drivers a chance. He helped launch the careers of so many great drivers over the years and in 1989 Eddie Jordan Racing and Jean Alesi combined to land the Formula 3000 Drivers’ Championship.

With the money and exposure that generated Jordan took the big step of launching an F1 team in 1991, rebranding as Jordan Grand Prix. Based at Silverstone, the list of drivers who raced for Jordan really is incredible. Alesi, Eddie Irvine and Damon Hill first got their chances with Eddie Jordan Racing, whilst both Michael and Ralf Schumacher first drove in F1 for Jordan Grand Prix. Non-F1 drivers Alex Zanardi and Takuma Sato both also got their starts thanks to Jordan, as did Rubens Barrichello and many more.

His role in developing these drivers should not be underestimated. The team itself enjoyed modest success, winning four Grands Prix and having a best finish in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships of third, both in 1999 (thanks to Heinz-Harald Frentzen).

The team was sold in 2005 and has since been sold numerous times, the name changing but still using the original FIA entry. That stopped in 2018 when Force India collapsed, essentially ending the Jordan lineage in the sport, though Aston Martin use the old premises of Jordan at Silverstone.

Media Work

After a little time away from the sport, the larger-than-life Jordan returned as a pundit for the BBC in 2009. He always seemed well suited to a career in the media and would have been a joy to watch on Drive to Survive. He slowly increased his presence, taking in live races from 2012 to 2015, and was very popular with fans.

His contacts within the sport enabled him to break a number of stories before they were officially confirmed. He was the first to reveal that Lewis Hamilton would be moving to Mercedes and his close industry contacts allowed him to bring a depth of analysis and real insight that few others could match.

He was also incredibly good fun, open to pretty much anything and extremely likeable, that latter quality easily transmitting through the screen. The death of any sports or TV personality inevitably sees floods of tributes saying what a great person they were and how kind and popular they were, but in Jordan’s case this all seems to be true, with very few having a bad word to say about the Irishman.

Interests and Life Beyond Motorsport

Eddie Jordan was a patron of the CLIC Sargent children’s cancer charity

Jordan worked very closely with CLIC Sargent, a charity that helps children with cancer and their families. He was awarded his OBE largely for the work he did supporting them and he was a patron of the charity. It has transpired that he also did a lot of work with charities under the radar and this fits with his warm personality and the sense that he was always happy to help others.

Aside from F1 he was a keen sports fan in general, being a shareholder in Celtic and, more recently, as said, he became the co-owner of the London Irish rugby union club. He had previously been linked with buying Coventry City football club but that never happened, though he was a passionate football fan.

A keen cyclist, golfer and horse racing fan he also had a love of music and was a drummer, befitting his personality. He had various business interests too, far too many to mention and although 76 is not an especially long life these days, Jordan certainly had a very full one, packed with experiences.

He announced at the end of 2024 that he had been diagnosed earlier that year with cancer. The aggressive prostate and bladder cancer meant he knew he did not have long to live but we can be sure he enjoyed those final months as much as possible.