F1 icon Eddie Jordan dies aged 76 after ‘aggressive’ well being battle

F1 icon Eddie Jordan has died aged 76 after a battle with cancer.

The Irishman revealed he had been battling an “aggressive form” of prostate and bladder cancer, which spread to his spine and pelvis, late last year.

He had made an appearance on a talkSPORT late last month – when he apologised for “not being himself” following a dose of cancer treatment. And his family have now confirmed he has passed away aged 76.

A family statement said: “Eddie 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.”

Opening up on his battle, Jordan urged people to go and get tested, in an appearance on his Formula For Success podcast. He said: “We’ve kind of alluded to it David, 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.

“And we’ve all heard about our wonderful friend Sir Chris Hoy, who is an absolute megastar, and he [was] coming out and talking about illness such as like what I’ve got, but he’s a far younger man.

“But this is a little message for all the anchors and everybody listening to this: don’t wait 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.

“We’ll move on, but yes, some very dark days in there – but we pulled out of it, thankfully.”

Jordan never quite made it to F1 as a driver – racing in F2, F3 and Formula Atlantic, as well as 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981. However, he would make it to the pinnacle of the sport with his team Jordan Grand Prix.

It was this team that gave Michael Schumacher his big break in 1991.

It would be a fixture on the grid until 2005 – with the team’s best result coming in 1998 when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished first and second at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Jordan sold the team in 2005, when it was rebranded as MF1 Racing a year later before becoming Force India, then Racing Point, and now Aston Martin.

He would start to make appearances as a pundit, joining BBC Sport’s Grand Prix in 2009 before moving to Channel 4 in 2016. He would also make appearances on Sky Sports’ coverage.

In 2012, he was awarded honorary OBE by The Queen in recognition of his services to charity and motor racing.

Tributes have poured in from across the sport and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai: “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.”

Presenter Jake Humphrey, who worked alongside Jordan at the BBC, tweeted: “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.

“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.

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