Eddie Jordan dead at 76: Formula One legend passes away, just a month on from his heartbreaking update on his battle with ‘aggressive’ cancer
Formula One legend Eddie Jordan has passed away aged 76 after losing his battle with cancer.
Jordan, who ran his own team in Formula One between 1991 and 2005 – before continuing to be involved in the sport as a broadcaster for the BBC and Channel 4 – was also the manager of design guru Adrian Newey.
The 76-year-old was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer last year and, on Thursday morning, his family confirmed that he’d passed away.
In a statement, they 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.
‘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’.
Formula One legend Eddie Jordan has passed away aged 76 after losing his battle with cancer
Jordan, pictured with his wife Marie, was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer last year
Jordan pictured alongside Damon Hill (left) and Ralf Schumacher (right) back in 1998
The family said, ‘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.’
Jordan leaves his wife Marie and his children: Zoe, Miki, Zak and Kyle. He has many devoted fans and will be sorely missed in the world of motorsport and beyond.
Shortly after the news was confirmed, tributes for the F1 legend began pouring in. Among them was Jake Humphreys, who described it as a ‘devastatingly sad and difficult day’ for the sport.
Taking to X, he wrote: ‘Utterly devastated. EJ has left us. Formula One won’t see the likes of Eddie ever again where a guy with a love for racing can hustle his way into the sport and end up winning races.
‘More important than race wins though, he won hearts. I will never forget how his face would always light up whenever he saw a Jordan GP jacket, flag or cap… as we traveled the world together years after the team had been sold.
‘His greatest achievements were Mikki, Zoe, Kyle and Zak. His incredible 4 kids who share his spirit. His wife Marie is one of the strongest, most wonderful women I have ever met.
‘The 4 years we spent together hosting F1 on the BBC were greatest of my career. Wing-walking, scooter riding, car driving madness that I know he loved deeply.
Jordan’s team was named after the Irishman and entered 250 races, winning four in total
Jordan Grand Prix achieved four Grand Prix wins, with a notable 1-2 finish by Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix
Jordan, pictured alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2014, served as a Formula One analyst for BBC (2009–2015) and Channel 4
He then worked as a pundit, while overseeing the career of design guru Adrian Newey
‘His incredible spirit and love of life lives on in me, and my children who were lucky enough to meet him and hear all about him.
‘Eddie lit up a room whenever he entered it. That is a lesson for us all – be the light in the room.
‘I was lucky enough to share one final, cherished meal with him and his boys a few months ago. It was special. We talked about me doing one final interview with him. Sadly that will never happen.
‘As I left his final words were ‘I love you brother’. One of the 3 Amigos is gone. The world seems a little less bright this morning. Farewell friend. Play the spoons up there for me’.
Meanwhile, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear about the sudden loss of Eddie Jordan.
‘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’.
Just last month, Jordan provided a heartbreaking update about the condition.
Jordan’s last public sighting was alongside Ralf Schumacher back in December
He established Eddie Jordan Racing in 1979, which evolved into Jordan Grand Prix, entering Formula One in 1991
‘Sorry guys, just a small thing, thank you,’ he said on talkSPORT. ‘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.’
Announcing the illness last year, he said on his Formula For Success podcast: ‘We’ve kind of alluded to it 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.’
‘We’ve all heard about our wonderful friend, Sir Chris Hoy, who’s an absolute megastar, and he is coming out and talking about illnesses like what I’ve got, but he’s a far younger man.
‘But this is a little message, and everybody listening to this: Don’t waste or put it off. 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.’
Jordan’s team was named after the Irishman and entered 250 races, winning four times.
Jordan is renowned for giving Michael Schumacher his F1 debut in 1991, while Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, ended his career with his team.
Jordan served as a Formula One analyst for BBC (2009–2015) and Channel 4.
Jake Humphreys (left) shared an emotional tribute message to his close friend Jordan
Tributes began flooding in for the Formula One legend after news broke on Thursday morning
He was known for his punchy commentary and, back in December, urged Ferrari to rip up Lewis Hamilton’s contract after he lamented his form.
Hamilton said after a sprint race in Qatar: ‘The positive is that the car is fast and George should be able to shoot for pole tomorrow. Who knows? I’m definitely not fast anymore.
‘I’m just slow, same every weekend. Car felt relatively decent, no issues, and not really much more to say.’
Responding to the comments, Jordan urged Ferrari to back out of the contract, fearing that the British driver is ‘f***ed’ because he lacks ‘belief’.
Speaking on his podcast, Jordan said: ‘If you don’t believe 100 per cent, you’re f***ed. Do you understand that?
‘Because belief, 99.9 per cent, means that there is that tiny, little, little thing in there knocking on your head that gives you the things that maybe, ‘Oh, I don’t really have that confidence. I don’t really have the ability’.
Jordan was awarded an honorary OBE in 2012 for services to charity and motorsport
Earlier this year, Jordan oversaw Adrian Newey’s transfer from Red Bull to Aston Martin.
He was awarded an honorary OBE in 2012 for services to charity and motorsport, and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Ulster and Dublin Institute of Technology.
Earlier in his career, he won the Irish Kart Championship in 1971 and the Irish Formula Atlantic Championship in 1978.
He also competed in Formula Ford and Formula Three, though a leg injury in 1976 sidelined him temporarily.
