Eddie Jordan, F1 team boss and sporting legend, has passed away

Irish motorsport legend Eddie Jordan has died, aged 76, following a battle with serious illness.

Former Jordan Grand Prix F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has passed away, with the Irishman revealing earlier this year that he was battling aggressive cancer.

Eddie Jordan passes away

Founder of his own eponymous F1 team in the early 1990s, Jordan rose to prominence in the sport as a charismatic leader and businessman, before selling his outfit in the mid-2000s.

Earlier this year, Jordan revealed on the Formula for Success podcast that he had been battling cancer, and, on March 20th – 10 days before his 77th birthday – the Irishman was confirmed as having passed away.

Sources close to Jordan confirmed the news to PlanetF1.com on Thursday morning, with a family statement also released to say, “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 20th March 2025 at the age of 76, after battling with an aggressive form of prostate cancer for the past 12 months.

“He was working until the last, having communicated on St Patrick’s Day, about his ambitions for London Irish Rugby Football Club, of which he had recently become Patron.”

Jordan is remembered by his wife Marie, and his children Zoe, Miki, Zak, and Kyle.

The family said, “EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy, and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence. He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow.”

A statement from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the sudden loss of Eddie Jordan.

“With his inexhaustible energy he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times.

“Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed.

“In this moment of sorrow, my thoughts and those of the entire Formula 1 family are with his family and loved ones.”

Jordan’s F1 story was completely unique – he started off in karting in the early 1970s and became a winner in single-seater categories such as Formula Atlantic and winning the championship in Irish Formula Atlantic.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Jordan established his own racing team, Eddie Jordan Racing, hiring drivers like Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert in British F3. In the late 1980s, Jordan entered Formula 3000 and, in 1989, won the championship with Jean Alesi.

Formula 1 was beckoning, with Gary Anderson joining to oversee operations on a full-time basis in 1990.

Arriving in F1 in 1991, the next 10 years proved a rollercoaster for Jordan Grand Prix. From the highs of its debut year, including giving Michael Schumacher a now legendary debut race, running the beloved Jordan 191, the Irish team went through periods of uncompetitiveness with underpowered engines – but the late 90s showed Jordan had what it took to make it in Formula 1.

The most iconic period for the team came with a switch to a yellow colour scheme under sponsor Benson & Hedges, with podium finishes and the team’s first win scored in a 1-2 finish at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1998.

Jordan’s famous skip down the pitlane at Spa-Francorchamps illustrated his personality to millions, with Jordan Grand Prix enjoying a huge fanbase thanks to their ‘plucky underdog’ status against the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams.

With Jordan trying to bring a bit of ‘rock and roll’ to Formula 1, his team enjoyed their most successful season in 1999 as Heinz-Harald Frentzen won two races and became a dark horse in the Drivers’ World Championship – that was also the year that, at the French Grand Prix, Jordan successfully got the Irish National Anthem, Amhrán na Bhfiann, played on the podium in Formula 1 for the first time.

The highs of the successes of 1999 would never be repeated, even after Jordan secured a full-scale Honda factory engine deal, but there was one final success – Giancarlo Fisichella came out on top against Kimi Raikkonen in a truncated Brazilian Grand Prix in 2003.

By the end of 2004, Jordan Grand Prix was struggling financially and Jordan reluctantly sold up to the Midland Group – the team has evolved through a series of owners since and now exists as Aston Martin – the team still occupying the site upon which Jordan built his team outside the gates of Silverstone.

Over the years since, Jordan has become a beloved pundit in Formula 1, as well as becoming the manager of esteemed car designer Adrian Newey – a fact which shocked many during last year’s news cycle involving Newey.

An avid cyclist, Jordan was regularly spotted out and about in South Africa, where he divided his time with another home, and revealed in December 2024 that he was battling an aggressive cancer.

“I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer, and then it spread into the spine and the pelvis, so it was quite aggressive,” he said.

“But this is a little message, and everybody listen to this: Don’t waste or put it off. Go and get tested, because in life, you’ve got chances. And there is so much medical advice out there and so many things that you can do to extend your lifetime.

“Go and do it. Don’t be stupid. Don’t be shy. It’s not a shy thing. Look after your body, guys.”

Many F1 drivers owe career breaks to Jordan, with the likes of Michael Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella, Eddie Irvine, John Watson, Martin Brundle, Rubens Barrichello, and Jean Alesi coming into the sport with him, or seeing their careers rekindled following a switch to Jordan.

From everyone at PlanetF1.com, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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