LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) – Eddie Jordan, the charismatic Irish entrepreneur whose Formula One team gave Michael Schumacher a grand prix debut in 1991,has died of prostate cancer aged 76 at his home in South Africa, his family said on Thursday.
Jordan, who later became a television pundit,entered Formula One with his eponymous Silverstone-based team in 1991 and ran it until 2005. After multiple changes of name and ownership, it now competes as Aston Martin.
‘EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence,’ the family said in a statement.
They said Jordan had died in the early hours in Cape Town with his family beside him.
Born on March 30, 1948, Jordan competed in motor racing’s junior series before becoming a driver manager and then a team owner.
The F1 team and their lively publicity-seeking owner brought a ‘rock and roll’ image to the sport but were also serious about their racing, punching above their weight in beating long-established rivals.
Germany’s seven-times world champion Schumacher made his debut with them at the Belgian Grand Prix, and his brother Ralf raced for them in 1997 and 1998.
Britain’s Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion with Williams, was a race winner with Jordan in 1998 before retiring the next year.
‘He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow,’ said the family statement.
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali, a former Ferrari team boss, said he was deeply saddened.
‘With his inexhaustible energy, he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times,’ said the Italian.
‘Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed.’
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Gareth Jones and Kevin Liffey)