Eddie Jordan was a rascally
genius – F1 lost a genuine legend

Formula One is in mourning
after Eddie Jordan, one of the most colourful characters to have graced the sport, died at the age of 76.

A flamboyant wheeler-dealer, the Irishman was among the last of a breed of team owner-principals.

Having started out as a bank clerk, he caught the motorsport bug in his 20s, racing karts, junior single-seaters and sports cars before founding his own eponymous team.

Jordan Grand Prix entered F1 in 1991 and ushered Michael Schumacher into the sport. Always energetic, EJ would entertain fans at the races by playing the drums and the spoons on stage with his rock‘n’roll mates.

But the rascally image was in 
contrast to Jordan’s astute leadership and relentless graft and the team reached their loftiest height in 1999 when finishing third in the world 
championship. In all the team took four 
victories, including Damon Hill’s last and Giancarlo Fisichella’s first.

Jordan sold up at the end of 2005 and the outfit he started has evolved into today’s Aston Martin team. In semi-retirement, he based himself in Monaco and became an incisive and unbridled TV pundit, as well as co-owner of London Irish RFC.

He remained a paddock player to the end, negotiating Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin last summer.

It was clear he never lost his passion for racing and storytelling, his love of a party and good company, or his approachability. And there is no way he would have complied with the FIA’s newly enforced swearing ban.

EJ passed away at his home in Cape Town from prostate cancer. He leaves behind his wife Marie and their four children.

Martin Brundle, who raced for Jordan in F3 and F1, wrote on social media: ‘RIP my friend. a character. What a rock star. What a racer. So many drivers owe you so much.’

Former world champion Hill said: ‘Eddie was chaotic and a genius all at the same time.

‘He had the energy of 100 men. He created so much joy and had a massive heart. There will only ever be one EJ.

‘He left his mark on the sport. He came from nothing, he worked his way up by using his cunning and guile. He had a way of getting himself into your life. He was extraordinary and brilliant. The sport has lost a true legend and we have lost a true friend. He never stopped, he never wasted a single 
second of his life and he energised everyone he was near. It’s a huge loss.’

Another former British driver David Coulthard said: ‘Eddie was a force to be reckoned with. You never knew quite where his madness would take you next but you always got there with a smile on your face.’

Lando’s in no mood to take a victory lap

Britain’s Lando Norris may be leading the world championship after his dominant weekend in Australia, but he urges caution about his title prospects ahead of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.

‘People need to calm down a bit,’ said the five-time grand-prix winner. ‘I had one good weekend. I probably won’t even think about the championship until at least halfway through the year.

‘I know there’s a lot more pressure on me and everyone is like “now he’s got to do it”. But I’m very calm and I feel the most relaxed I’ve ever been.’

Max Verstappen and George Russell, who finished second and third in Melbourne behind Norris, claimed McLaren will be hard to beat.

‘They’re super strong,’ said Verstappen, who has won the last four world drivers’ titles.

‘The clear picture you saw [in Australia] was that McLaren was quite far ahead. I don’t think I’m an idiot in the wet [and] in the first stint I didn’t have a lot of chance to fight.’

Mercedes driver Russell went further, saying: ‘They’re at such an advantage because they can stop development now and go fully [focused] on ’26 as it’s difficult to overcome that gap. Their car should win every race.’

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri has called Russell’s comments far-fetched, responding: ‘If he wants to write off his season after the first weekend, then I’ll let him do that.’

After all, Red Bull were quickest out of the traps last year but by the second half of the season McLaren and Ferrari both had faster cars.

Six drivers crashed out during last Sunday’s downpour Down Under, while Piastri slid off the track and out of contention for a podium.

‘We’re very aware Melbourne was an exceptional weekend rather than what we expect to be the norm,’ said the Australian.

The unfamiliar conditions gave the rookies a tough time, with all bar Mercedes’ new boy Andrea Kimi Antonelli coming unstuck. Isack Hadjar spun his Racing Bull into a wall on the formation lap and was unable to take his first race start.

The French-Algerian cried on the sideline, leading Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony to give him a consoling hug. This was in contrast to the man who decides Hadjar’s future, Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who called the tearful 20-year-old’s distress ‘embarrassing’.

Hadjar defused the situation in Shanghai, admitting: ‘I found it embarrassing myself. I had Helmut on the phone a few days later and it’s all good. I’ve known him for a few years now. I’m used to how he works.’

Isack also revealed what Hamilton Sr told him, explaining: ‘He said it reminded him of Lewis parking his car at the pit entry in Shanghai [at the 2007 Chinese GP, where Lewis was on course to win the title in his debut year until spent tyres caused him to slide off].’

He added Anthony is ‘the dad of my idol, so it was quite a special moment. And Lewis sent me a message later that day. So, really classy guys’.

Hamilton has a point to prove this weekend, too, after a fairly inauspicious start to his Ferrari career. There is room for improvement when it comes to communication between the seven-time champion and the Italian pitwall but the Briton suggests the radio traffic between him and his new race engineer Riccardo Adami is a lot more civil than the messages between Verstappen and Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase.

‘Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers – far worse,’ said Hamilton. ‘The abuse that poor guy [‘GP’] has taken!’

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