F1 team owner and pundit Eddie Jordan dies aged 76

CAPE TOWN–Flamboyant former F1 team owner and television pundit Eddie Jordan has died aged 76.

A statement from his family 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 20 March 2025."

The F1 icon had been diagnosed last year with “aggressive” bladder and prostate cancer, which had reportedly spread.

Jordan was born in Dublin in 1948 and was known for his self-described "irrepressible optimism and energetic joie de vivre."

He began kart racing after trying the sport when a bank strike put him out of work as a clerk, paving the way for a career that took him into Formula 3, Formula 2, and a McLaren Formula 1 test in 1979.

He established a racing team the following year after a number of accidents and became known as an impressive scout for young talent, including giving future world champions Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill their Formula 3 debuts.

He entered Formula One in 1991, drawing an iconic sponsorship from Benson & Hedges and drivers such as Damon Hill, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, and Giancarlo Fishicella.

He held the team until 2005, later becoming a pundit for the BBC and then Channel 4, where he became known for outlandish predictions regarding the driver market that mostly became reality.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said "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 was awarded an honorary OBE in 2012 in recognition of services to charity and motor racing, was inducted into the Irish Motorsport Hall of Fame, and held honorary doctorates from the University of Ulster and Dublin's Institue of Technology.

His family 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."

"Eddie and Jordan Grand Prix were known for their rock and roll image, bringing a fun and exciting element to F1, as well as consistently performing above their weight."

"Many successful F1 drivers owe their career breaks to Eddie, and world champions including Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill drove for him.

"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."