Eddie Jordan’s extraordinary career from Dublin banker to F1 team owner

Timeline: Eddie Jordan stumbled across karting while holidaying on the Channel Islands and motor racing became his life

Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan has died aged 76, his family have announced.

The Irishman revealed in December he was suffering with bladder and prostate cancer which had spread to his spine and pelvis.

A family statement, published by rugby club London Irish where Jordan was a patron, said he “passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town” on Thursday.

“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.”

Here is a closer look at his career in motor racing:

1948 – Jordan was born in Dublin to Eileen and Paddy Jordan, and spent most of his childhood in Bray, 10 miles south of the city. He briefly considered becoming a Catholic priest before deciding to take a short course in accountancy.

1970 – Jordan was working as a bank clerk in Dublin when he travelled to Jersey for the summer during a banking strike. It was here he discovered kart racing, and he bought his own kart on his return to Ireland.

Jordan was later a popular pundit on BBC's coverage of Formula 1 (Getty Images)

1971 – Blessed with a natural talent for the sport, Jordan entered and won the Irish Kart Championship.

1979 – After several years working his way up the racing ladder, via Formula Ford and crossing the Irish Sea to compete in British Formula Three and Formula Two, he founded his own team, Eddie Jordan Racing. Over the next decade they won the British Formula Three Championship with a young Johnny Herbert, and the Formula 3000 title with Jean Alesi.

1991 – Jordan entered Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix, and gave a precocious Michael Schumacher his F1 debut at the Belgian Grand Prix. The German impressed so much that he was poached by Benetton the following season.

30 Aug 1998: Jordan, left, is sprayed with Champagne by race winner Damon Hill and runner-up Ralf Schumacher at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (Getty Images)

1998 – Benson & Hedges Jordan, as the team was now known, secured their first victory in F1 when Damon Hill triumphed at Spa in a wet and chaotic Belgian Grand Prix, with teammate Ralf Schumacher finishing second. The victory was such a surprise that race organisers didn’t have the Irish national anthem ready to play during their podium celebrations.

1999 – After almost a decade bouncing around F1’s midfield, the team achieved its highest season finish with a third placing in the constructors’ championship. German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen pushed for the drivers’ title after winning two races during the season, but came up short.

2005 – Following a period of decline, Jordan was forced to sell the team as finances became increasingly perilous, in no small part down to a misguided attempt to sue Vodafone for breaking a three-year sponsorship two years earlier. Defeat in the case was costly, and Jordan ended up selling the team to the Midland Group for around £40m.

2009 – Jordan began a successful media career with his engaging and insightful take on the sport, appearing regularly on BBC Sport and later Sky Sports.