F1 legend Eddie Jordan has died aged 76 following a battle with cancer. The Irishman, who launched an F1 team in his own name in 1991, revealed at the end of last year that he was suffering from both bladder and prostate cancer, which had spread to his spine and pelvis.

Jordan passed away in Cape Town, South Africa, where he spent half of the year, surrounded by family, who announced the sad news in a statement on Thursday morning. Jordan, who recently became co-owner of the London Irish rugby club, had been working up until his death. 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.”

The team Jordan started is still on the F1 grid in the guise of Aston Martin, whose owner, Lawrence Stroll, said: “Eddie Jordan was a true racer, a great leader, and one of the biggest characters in our sport.

“He was a friend who I have known for more than thirty years and I will miss him greatly. My thoughts, and those of everybody at Aston Martin, are with his family and friends.”

F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali added: “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 One family are with his family and loved ones.

Jordan’s team entered 250 races between 1991 and 2005. They won four times, with Hill leading home Jordan’s best-ever result – a one-two finish at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

Jordan also handed Schumacher his F1 debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, with the German going on to win a record-breaking seven world championships – an accomplishment only matched by Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

Close friend Hill said he was “sad and shocked” by the news. The 1996 world champion added: “There will never be another like Eddie Jordan, you’ll hear about what he is like.

“My thoughts go to the Jordan family who are lovely people. Eddie was a huge influence on me and many people in motorsport and around the world, there will never be another like him.

“He was gregarious, as you know. He was irreverent, he was crazy. I lived in Ireland when I raced with Eddie, I was privileged to have won a grand prix with Eddie, to see the effect and he influenced everyone. There isn’t a single person in that era and since that has not been positively impacted in some way by Eddie.

“He gave a huge amount to charity, he never stopped, he never wasted a single second of his life and he energised everyone he was near. It’s a huge loss.”

Williams F1 star Carlos Sainz posted on X: “Extremely sad to learn that Eddie has passed away. A true icon and loved character of our sport. Passionate, loyal and truly one of a kind. He will be dearly missed. R.I.P.”

Jordan sold his F1 team in 2005, and returned to the paddock four years later as part of the BBC’s F1 coverage. He went on to work as a pundit for Channel 4 and briefly as a presenter of Top Gear.

Presenter Jake Humphrey, who worked alongside Jordan at the BBC, posted on X: “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 travelled the world together years after the team had been sold.

He added: “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’. The world seems a little less bright this morning.”

Earlier this year, Jordan led a consortium which bought London Irish. He also recently helped seal F1 design guru Adrian Newey’s £20million-a-season deal from Red Bull to Aston Martin.