Aston Martin’s small but touching tribute to Eddie Jordan at Chinese Grand Prix

Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted a touching tribute to Eddie Jordan emblazoned on Aston Martin’s car at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.

The world of Formula One was rocked on Thursday as the news broke that Eddie Jordan had passed away aged 76 following a battle with prostate and bladder cancer.

Jordan was widely considered to be among the most influential figures in the history of the sport having enjoyed an illustrious career both in the paddock and on TV screens as a pundit with the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky Sports.

The much-loved Irishman first opened up about his diagnosis in December, revealing at the time how the ‘aggressive’ cancer had spread to his spine and pelvis.

Social media has been awash with heartfelt tributes and messages of condolence in the intervening hours, with F1 fans both mourning the loss and celebrating the extraordinary life of the founder and owner of Jordan Grand Prix.

The sad news has dominated the build-up to this weekend’s drama in Shanghai, the second meeting of the season, where a ‘gobsmacked’ Lewis Hamilton starts on pole for the sprint race after a thrilling qualifying session.

‘I’m a bit taken aback by it,’ the veteran Brit – who finished ninth last weekend in Australia – told reporters.

‘I didn’t know when we would get to this position and, after last weekend, it was a difficult start to the week.

‘I came here with aggression and wanting to go into the weekend and get the car into a great place.

‘I started out straight away with a better feeling in the car and I can’t believe we are at the front. I am just a bit gobsmacked.’

Red Bull star Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished second and third in qualifying, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso had to settle for tenth and 11th respectively.

Ahead of the session, Aston Martin revealed how they would be ‘proudly’ displaying Jordan’s name with a fitting shamrock emblem – a nod to the original team’s logo – on their car in tribute to the Dubliner.

The British team have raced under a number of different names, starting with Jordan Grand Prix back in 1991.

Jordan would go on to sell the team to the Midland Group in 2005, with further buy-outs seeing it compete under the guises of Spyker, Force India and Racing Points.

‘Eddie Jordan was one of the all-time motorsport greats,’ Andy Cowell, team principle of Aston Martin, said.

‘He was a one-off, a wonderful human being, and a charismatic leader who founded this team and took it to F1 in 1991.

‘His vision laid the foundations for us and he leaves a lasting legacy for the entire motorsport community.

‘Today we pay tribute to a legend of the sport and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues.’

In his own unique tribute, an emotional Bernie Ecclestone suggested Jordan’s stature and influence in the sport meant he could never be replaced.

‘I am very, very sad because Eddie was a special guy,’ Ecclestone, who managed the sport for four decades until 2017, told Mail Sport.

‘Tell me which team principal today is like him. You can’t give me one because there isn’t one. They don’t make them like that now. We will never replace him in Formula One.

‘He had been ill for some months. I last heard he was given two diagnoses by different doctors. One told him he was in trouble and another that all his problems had gone away. Now we know the answer, unfortunately.’

Ecclestone added: ‘I won’t be going to his funeral. I don’t go to funerals.

‘I may not go to mine. He certainly won’t go to mine. So, it’s all fair. It always was with Eddie.’

MORE: Eddie Jordan was a rascally genius – Formula One has lost a genuine legend

MORE: Australian Grand Prix: How did Lewis Hamilton do in first qualifying session at Ferrari

MORE: Em Clarkson: My route into Formula 1 fandom might surprise you