FORMULA One legend Eddie Jordan has passed away aged 76.
The Irishman revealed in December that he was battling an “aggressive” form of prostate and bladder cancer, which spread to his spine and pelvis and was diagnosed earlier in 2024.
A family statement said: “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.
“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.”
Tributes flooded in for the F1 icon from across the world.
Ralf Schumacher, who raced under Jordan and is the brother of seven-time champion Michael, said: “We had a great time in Cape Town.
“Your love for music and the many live performances are unforgettable.
“I can hardly believe that you have lost the battle against the disease.
“Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to start my F1 career in your team.
“I will always be grateful to you for that. I wish the whole family a lot of strength in these hours.
“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.
Tributes to flamboyant Eddie Jordan
Former racing driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle wrote: “RIP my friend. Condolences to each and every one of your lovely family.
“What a character. What a rock star. What a racer. So many drivers owe you so much, you gave us our chances and believed in us.”
Earlier this year, Jordan led a consortium which bought former English rugby Premiership club London Irish.
The club said: “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.”
He also recently helped seal F1 design guru Adrian Newey’s switch from Red Bull to Aston Martin.
Aston Martin said in a statement: “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eddie Jordan.
“His impact will be felt across the motorsport community for generations to come.”
Aston Martin F1 team principal Andy Cowell described Jordan as a “one-off”.
“His vision laid the foundations for us and he leaves a lasting legacy for the entire motorsport community,” he said.
“Today we pay tribute to a legend of the sport and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues.”
Virgin Radio DJ Chris Evans broke down on air this morning as he paid an emotional tribute to Jordan.
Evans said: “Eddie sang from the hymn sheet that says, ‘Live life as deeply as you can every single day, every single day.’
“Because Eddie lived a thousand lifetimes and he was a real liver of life.
“And if you really are a liver of life, then life loves you for it and gives you more.
“And if you live like that on the daily 24/7, 365 days a year then you have no regrets as far as that aspect of the opportunity of being a human is concerned and Eddie left nothing on the pitch, or should I say track.”
Former F1 driver and TV pundit Karun Chandhok wrote on X: “There will never be another like him. Sleep well EJ.”
Former Jordan driver and world champion Damon Hill said: “We’re all very sad and shocked.
“We knew Eddie was fighting the disease and while we knew it was serious, we thought there might be a chance he would win, but sadly he has lost that.
“There will never be another like Eddie Jordan, You’ll hear about what he is like.”
Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has posted on X and wrote: “Extremely sad to learn that Eddie has passed away. A true icon and loved character of our sport.
“Passionate, loyal and truly one of a kind. He will be dearly missed. R.I.P.”
Irish premier Micheal Martin has paid tribute to Eddie Jordan, saying he lived his “life to the full”.
“I was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Eddie Jordan,” Mr Martin said in a statement.
“Eddie lived life to the full, facing his final days with the same courage and tenacity he displayed throughout his many years as an entrepreneur, Formula One pioneer, and TV pundit.
“There were few like him. My deepest sympathies go to all his family and friends.”
McLaren’s chief executive officer Zak Brown posted on X: “All at McLaren are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Eddie Jordan.
“Eddie was a vibrant figure who always wore his heart on his sleeve.
“His passion for Formula 1 was enormous and he leaves an incredible legacy. All of our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Katie Price, who served as Eddie’s grid girl under her alter ego Jordan, told The Mirror: “I’m deeply saddened on hearing the news that Eddie has died.
“He was a very charismatic and fun character to be around whose humour, just like himself, was unique.
“It’s a great loss to the F1 family and he will be missed around the Paddock.”
“In this moment of sorrow, my thoughts and those of the entire Formula 1 family are with his family and loved ones.”
Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, shared on Instagram: “Very sorry to hear Eddie Jordan has sadly passed.
“Eddie was a hugely colourful character who I first met in 1991 as a young driver at his then new factory after his first year in Formula One.
“His advice, ‘get a good sponsor… welcome to the Piranha Club!’”
Jordan made his final appearance on live radio last month when he touchingly apologised after revealing he’s “not himself” following a dose of cancer treatment.
The former F1 team owner was on talkSPORT discussing his takeover of London Irish.
Towards the end of the segment, Jordan said: “Sorry guys, just a small thing, thank you.
“I’ve just come out of getting chemotherapy and I’m not 100 per cent together here guys.
“I’m just not myself at this moment in time. I’m a little all over the place, so please forgive me.”
Back in December, Jordan revealed he went through some “dark days” as the cancer spread to different parts of his body.
He urged people to go out and get tested and spoke about the importance of looking after one’s body.
In an appearance on his Formula For Success podcast, which he hosts alongside Coulthard, Jordan said: “We’ve kind of alluded to it David, over the shows.
“Way back in March and April, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer.
“And then it spread into the spine and the pelvis, so it was quite aggressive.
“And we’ve all heard about our wonderful friend Sir Chris Hoy, who is an absolute megastar, and he [was] coming out and talking about illness such as like what I’ve got, but he’s a far younger man.
“But this is a little message for all the anchors and everybody listening to this: don’t wait or put it off.
What are the symptons of prostate and bladder cancer?
By Alice Fuller, Health Features Editor
ABOUT 55,000 new prostate cancer cases are recorded every year in the UK.
Bladder cancer is less common, with around 10,500 new cases.
For both types, cancer can start in one area of the body and spread as the disease develops, such as to the pelvis and spine.
But there is also growing evidence to suggest patients can have two primary cancers at once.
In one study by the State University of New York, the coincidence was as high as 70 per cent for prostate cancers in patients with bladder cancer, and 3.4 per cent for bladder cancers in patients with prostate cancer.
Separate research published in the Journal of Urology found 25 per cent of patients with a bladder cancer diagnosis also had prostate cancer, and 3.8 per cent with prostate cancer also had bladder cancer.
Symptoms of both types are similar, but there are some distinct differences.
“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.
“We’ll move on, but yes, some very dark days in there – but we pulled out of it, thankfully.”
Jordan was a legend in his field and although he never drove in F1, he did race in F2, F3 and Formula Atlantic, as well as 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981.
Ten years later he did finally make it to F1 with his Jordan Grand Prix team, and gave Michael Schumacher his F1 debut in 1991.
Jordan Grand Prix raced in F1 until 2005, and achieved its best ever result in 1998 when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished first and second at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The team was sold in 2005 and rebranded as MF1 Racing a year later before becoming Force India and later Racing Point and now Aston Martin.
Jordan returned to F1 in 2009 as a pundit for BBC Sport’s Grand Prix and later joined Channel 4 in 2016.
He had also been a regular pundit on Sky Sports over the years.
He was awarded an honorary OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of his services to charity and motor racing in 2012.
In 2016 he joined the cast of presenters on Top Gear, who at the time included Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc.
Speaking in mid-October about his health, the multi-millionaire revealed that he underwent tests as part of taking part in a cycling event in South Africa earlier in the year.
He said: “At 76 I did the Argus [Cape Town Cycle Tour], and then you get a bit of a bang, and then you suddenly feel that you’re not 100 per cent.
“You go to the doctor, and then you get this illness. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I urge everybody to be able to stand the fight, because it’s worth it.
“I’m coming out the other side, everyone else should come out the other side. The prognosis is absolutely fantastic.
“The medical awareness of what’s going on at the moment is quite simply mind-boggling – and so there should be every opportunity to avail of that medical help.”
Jordan leaves his wife, Marie and children Zoe, Miki, Zak and Kyle.
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