The top 10 moments of Eddie Jordan’s motorsport teams

Eddie Jordan Racing turned an enormous participant in junior single-seaters previous to the Jordan squad arriving in Components 1 in 1991.

Earlier than turning into the Midland-owned MF1 Racing for 2006, Jordan constructed up a cult following, helped launch the careers of a number of drivers and briefly turned a championship contender.

Right here’s our selection of the squad’s most interesting moments.

10. Successful the 1987 British F3 title

Victory at Silverstone a part of early flurry of wins for Herbert en path to British F3 crown

Picture by: Getty Photos

Eddie Jordan Racing had come near the British F3 title earlier than – most notably with Martin Brundle in 1983 – however hadn’t fairly made it. Till, that was, Jordan signed Johnny Herbert to drive his Dave Benbow-engineered Reynard-Volkswagen for the 1987 marketing campaign.

Herbert took pole by over a second on the Thruxton opener, gained by greater than seven seconds regardless of a poor begin, and added three extra victories over the following 4 races. Thereafter the opposition caught up and Herbert was restricted to just one win over the remaining 13 rounds however, by then, he was realistically too far forward.

Herbert really clinched the title in inauspicious circumstances. He clashed with poleman Bertrand Gachot on the opening lap of the penultimate spherical at Spa, gained by Damon Hill, however nonetheless ended the day trip of attain of rivals Thomas Danielsson and Gachot.

“Eddie Jordan lastly quashed a jinx and took a most deserved title,” reported Autosport. “The group couldn’t have chosen a extra aggressive 12 months to interrupt its F3 duck.”

That success additionally arrange each Herbert and EJR for the 1988 Worldwide F3000 season, by which they gave Reynard a debut victory within the Jerez season opener…

INSIGHT: Johnny Herbert on Eddie Jordan

9. Alesi’s 1989 F3000 crown

Race winner Alesi leads team-mate Donnelly at pivotal Pau F3000 spherical

Picture by: Sutton Photos

By 1989, EJR was one of many main F3000 gamers and had Jean Alesi (after a disappointing rookie marketing campaign) and Martin Donnelly (already a race winner) lined as much as drive the Camel-backed Reynards.

Donnelly initially had the sting on tempo however had engine hassle on the opener after which misplaced Vallelunga victory after being disqualified for utilizing a revised nosecone. As a substitute, Alesi bought his first win in spherical three at Pau, after the duo had set the identical qualifying time, on a weekend Autosport described as “undoubtedly the turning level of the 12 months”.

Extra misfortune for Donnelly, mixed with constant scoring for Alesi and a problem from the DAMS group, meant the Briton was by no means a title contender. Though Donnelly beat Alesi in an EJR 1-2 at Manufacturers Hatch, the Frenchman reeled off wins at Birmingham’s Superprix and Spa. He sealed the take care of sixth at Le Mans, spherical 9 of 10.

“EJR bought the job achieved and claimed its largest championship success for the reason that group’s formation,” concluded Autosport.

Alesi’s profession had been resurrected to such a level that he skipped the ultimate spherical to compete within the Japanese Grand Prix for Tyrrell, having completed fourth on his debut in France. Not for the primary or final time, Jordan had helped the profession of a future F1 winner.

INSIGHT: High 10 F1 one-hit wonders

8. 1991 Canadian GP, Montreal

Gachot adopted team-mate de Cesaris house for Jordan’s breakthrough double points-scoring end in Montreal

Picture by: Motorsport Photos

Having run Eddie Irvine (who gained a spherical) and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (who didn’t) in F3000 throughout 1990, Jordan stepped into F1 with the skilled Andrea de Cesaris and Gachot the next 12 months.

Gary Anderson’s Ford HB-powered 191 was automotive, a incontrovertible fact that was underlined as early as spherical 5 of the 1991 marketing campaign. De Cesaris, who arguably by no means drove higher than when he was at Jordan, certified eleventh for the Canadian GP, with Gachot 14th.

Each made early stops after their preliminary tyre selection proved too tender within the opening stint, however then steadily rose up the order.

Regardless of beginning to lose gears, de Cesaris held his nerve to run fifth within the closing levels, with Gachot simply behind having survived a spin and nursing his personal gearbox gremlins. Each then moved up a spot when chief Nigel Mansell’s Williams famously stopped on the ultimate lap.

“The consequence says loads in regards to the folks in our group and the businesses we work with,” mentioned Jordan after his group’s first F1 factors finishes. “Hopefully we will now look ahead to leaving pre-qualifying behind us.”

As a newcomer, Jordan needed to pre-qualify for an opportunity to make it onto the 26-car grid within the first half of the season however simply did effectively sufficient to keep away from having to take action within the latter half of the marketing campaign.

INSIGHT: Greatest trying F1 automobiles

7. 1994 Pacific GP, Aida

Barrichello celebrates after delivering the Jordan squad’s first Components 1 podium

Picture by: Sutton Photos

This might have been an entry on the 1993 European GP at Donington Park. One in all Ayrton Senna’s best drives, the race additionally showcased the skills of one other Brazilian.

INSIGHT: Ayrton Senna’s greatest F1 drives

In simply his third world championship GP, Rubens Barrichello rose from twelfth to briefly run second within the rain-hit race. He was holding third with lower than 10 minutes to go when his Jordan 193’s gasoline strain dropped and he was labeled tenth.

Fortuitously, the long run Ferrari driver would nonetheless give Jordan its first F1 podium. After a few powerful years, Jordan was stronger in 1994 and Barrichello made an important begin from eighth to run fifth over a dramatic opening lap within the Pacific GP at Aida.

He rose to fourth when Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren had its second conflict with a Williams within the race, leading to a spin for Hill. Hill quickly repassed the Jordan however Barrichello was aided when Hakkinen lastly retired with gearbox hassle.

The Jordan briefly rose as excessive as second amid the pitstops however was working a extra consultant fourth when Hill’s transmission failed. Beneath strain from Martin Brundle’s quicker McLaren, Barrichello briefly stalled at his second cease however bought third again once more when the McLaren’s Peugeot engine cried sufficient.

Barrichello completed a lap down and had wanted some luck however, within the group’s fiftieth GP, that first podium was nonetheless very a lot deserved.

6. 1994 Belgian GP, Spa

Tense wait at Spa for Barrichello and Jordan, watching the timing display forward of affirmation of pole place

Picture by: Sutton Photos

Amid F1’s tumultuous 1994 season, Jordan’s 194 was typically within the hunt for factors and Barrichello turned a constant top-10 contender in qualifying following the San Marino crash that put him in hospital. Fifth on the grid in Spain was his finest when the F1 circus headed to Spa, which included a crude chicane at Eau Rouge following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Senna at Imola.

A wet-but-drying Friday qualifying session gave Barrichello the prospect to high the occasions. He did so by playing on slicks within the closing moments of the session because the observe was at its driest. He stopped the clock in 2m21.163s to beat Michael Schumacher’s Benetton by 0.331s, whereas the wets-shod Jordan of Irvine was fourth, 0.911s off pole.

“The brand new chicane and the Bus Cease have been actually slippery, however slicks have been the proper technique to go,” mentioned Barrichello. “Simply.”

Saturday qualifying was moist and Barrichello needed to wait it out earlier than his – and Jordan’s – first F1 pole was confirmed. “Watching that display was extra tiring than driving,” he mentioned. “I wasn’t going to run as a result of I didn’t wish to assist dry the observe.”

Barrichello made begin within the GP however fell to 3rd on the opening lap. He continued to drop again within the dry race, partly as a result of being fuelled heavy for a deliberate one-stop technique, and later spun off, however one other milestone had already been reached.

5. 1999 French GP, Magny-Cours

Intelligent technique at a moist Magny-Cours helped Frentzen ship the Jordan group’s second GP victory

Picture by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Photos

Jordan introduced one of the best out of Frentzen and a mix of the 199’s tempo and errors at Ferrari and McLaren stored the German in 1999 title competition. A intelligent technique in a rain-affected Magny-Cours contest helped Frentzen to his – and Jordan’s – second GP victory.

A moist qualifying session had caught out the highest runners and Frentzen lined up fifth, with the Stewart of Barrichello and Alesi’s Sauber on the entrance row. Frentzen, nonetheless recovering from a nasty shunt in Canada, moved as much as fourth on a dry opening lap and gained one other spot when David Coulthard’s main McLaren broke.

Frentzen misplaced out to a flying Hakkinen – up from 14th – on lap 15 of 72, earlier than rain arrived. As the sector got here in for moist tyres and the security automotive was summoned, Alesi skated off, in order that Frentzen was third on the restart.

That turned second when Hakkinen spun making an attempt to take the lead, just for Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari to return by on its technique to the entrance. However the Ferrari quickly hit electrical hassle, elevating Frentzen till Hakkinen once more overtook him in a roller-coaster race.

On lap 65 each new chief Hakkinen and Barrichello got here in for his or her ultimate gasoline stops. However Frentzen didn’t – Jordan had fuelled him closely at his cease to alter to moist tyres and was taking a big gamble.

The group was involved Frentzen wouldn’t make it to the flag, however that lengthy security automotive interval when the situations have been at their worst helped and the Jordan crossed the road 11.1s forward of Hakkinen.

4. 2003 Brazilian GP, Interlagos

The saga of Fisichella’s fortuitous win at a chaotic Interlagos in 2003 included parc ferme hearth

Picture by: Brousseau Picture

Jordan’s decline, with tough monetary and engine conditions, was swift and the EJ13 was the second-worst automotive on the 2003 grid. However one other technique gamble on the Brazilian GP resulted in Jordan scoring its fourth and ultimate F1 victory earlier than it morphed into MF1 Racing, Spyker, Pressure India, Racing Level after which Aston Martin.

Giancarlo Fisichella certified a formidable eighth however the first essential transfer was Jordan bringing in each him and team-mate Ralph Firman Jr throughout an early security automotive interval within the moist situations to gasoline them so long as doable. That put them on the again.

They have been nonetheless there when Firman suffered a entrance suspension failure that pitched his Jordan off and he narrowly missed his team-mate. However Fisichella survived and stayed out through the ensuing security automotive and spherical of stops.

Amid considerations that the single-spec moist tyres couldn’t deal with the worst of the situations, many drivers crashed, together with Juan Pablo Montoya and reigning world champion Schumacher. The latter’s Ferrari accident introduced out the security automotive as soon as extra and the race was solely briefly inexperienced earlier than Jenson Button crashed and full-course yellows flew once more.

By the point house hero Barrichello overtook Coulthard’s McLaren for the lead on lap 45, Fisichella had risen to fifth. And when the main Ferrari ran out of gasoline – the legacy of a misfire and telemetry failure – the Jordan moved up once more, with Fisichella difficult the Williams of Ralf Schumacher for third.

Each DC and Ralf needed to pit for gasoline and immediately Fisichella was difficult Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren for the lead! When Raikkonen made a small error on lap 54, a Jordan led a GP for the primary time in two years.

Raikkonen repassed Fisichella shortly earlier than the race was red-flagged following Fernando Alonso’s enormous crash. Raikkonen was initially introduced because the winner, whereas Fisichella’s automotive set itself briefly on hearth(!), however an FIA investigation following a Jordan enchantment confirmed that the outcomes ought to have been declared on the finish of lap 54 – the one lap on which the Italian was forward.   

Jordan hadn’t scored a podium end for greater than two years and would handle just one extra in F1. Tiago Monteiro was one of the best non-Ferrari within the farcical 2005 United States GP by which solely six Bridgestone-shod automobiles began because of Michelin tyre considerations.

INSIGHT: Top 10 worst F1 cars to win a GP

3. 1991 Belgian GP, Spa

Schumacher’s sensational Spa debut – and blink-of-an-eye tenure at Jordan – now the stuff of F1 legend

Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photos

Michael Schumacher’s arrival – as a alternative for the imprisoned Gachot – has handed into F1 folklore and might be essentially the most well-known instance of Jordan giving a younger driver a possibility.

Gachot had sprayed a London taxi driver with CS gasoline and was refused bail to compete at his house GP, so Jordan wanted a driver to affix de Cesaris.

Many thought Schumacher had raced at Spa earlier than however he hadn’t. The 22-year-old Mercedes sportscar star was however eighth quickest in his first F1 qualifying session and improved to seventh on Saturday (after Riccardo Patrese was penalised for no operative reverse gear on his Williams). In response to Autosport, Schumacher drove the 191 “at a fee it had not encountered earlier than”.

Schumacher’s debut was brief as a result of his clutch failed on lap one. There are those that assume he might have gained. Given the drama that unfolded on the entrance of the sector and the truth that de Cesaris was solely 3.5s behind an ailing Senna with three laps to go when his engine failed, that’s not as fanciful because it sounds.

However Schumacher had achieved sufficient anyway. “It could appear ridiculous already to talk of him as ‘a particular expertise’,” wrote Roebuck. “However, simply every now and then, you get a sense a couple of new driver, an impression that that is the beginning of a serious profession.”

By the following occasion, Schumacher was at Benetton and would take the primary of his 91 wins at Spa only a 12 months later.

PLUS: Michael Schumacher’s high 10 F1 wins

2. 1999 Italian GP, Monza

Frentzen’s victory at Monza helped elevate him to world championship competition

Picture by: Sutton Photos

This race wasn’t as thrilling because the Magny-Cours contest the identical 12 months or as dramatic because the 2003 Brazilian GP, but it surely was the one time a Jordan gained a world championship F1 race within the dry. And, for the 2 weeks between Frentzen’s Monza victory and his 199’s failure on lap 33 of the European GP, it was the one time a Jordan driver genuinely appeared a title contender.

Frentzen certified second, albeit practically half a second behind the fast Hakkinen. Come the race, he ran comfortably forward of the struggling Ferraris and the McLaren of Coulthard, however chief Hakkinen appeared out of attain, 8s up the street at half-distance.

That was till the Finn chosen first gear as a substitute of second and spun off on the first chicane. Whereas Hakkinen walked off to cry within the bushes, Frentzen drove to victory, placing him simply 10 factors behind Hakkinen and Irvine with three rounds to go.

The race itself was maybe not as memorable as some on this listing, however Frentzen’s emergence as a championship challenger stands as an undoubted high-water mark in Jordan’s historical past.

“Isn’t it unimaginable?” mentioned Frentzen. “I can’t consider I’ve an opportunity of profitable the world title.”

When Frentzen put his Jordan on pole subsequent day out on the Nurburgring, everybody began to surprise what is perhaps doable. He led the race too, however electrical failure put Frentzen out and he finally completed third within the standings.

1. 1998 Belgian GP, Spa

Hill leads team-mate Schumacher forward of emotional 1-2 end in tumultuous Belgian GP

Picture by: Sutton Photos

Jordan took an emotional first victory in one among F1’s most well-known races, on its 127th begin and scored a 1-2. It needed to high this listing.

Regardless of the arrival of 1996 world champion Hill, Jordan struggled at the beginning of the brand new narrow-car/grooved-tyre F1 period in 1998. However the 198 quickly improved and an impressed Hill certified third at Spa.

On a moist race day, each Hill and team-mate Ralf Schumacher managed to outlive the notorious lap-one crash triggered by Coulthard that led to a restart virtually an hour later. Hill grabbed the early lead and, though he succumbed to Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari on lap eight of 44, was quickly effectively away from the remaining.

After the primary spherical of stops, and with 24 laps accomplished, the Ferrari was 37s forward of Hill, who had a 10s cushion over Ralf. The second Jordan had climbed the sector properly from eighth on the grid, boosted by an earlier cease to alter from intermediate tyres to wets than lots of the different frontrunners.

When Michael Schumacher crashed into the again of Coulthard because the Ferrari tried to lap the McLaren, Hill moved again into the lead. He was 14s forward when Ralf dived in for his second cease however misplaced most of his benefit when an unsighted Fisichella smashed into Shinji Nakano and introduced out the security automotive.

The race restarted with 12 laps to go – and Hill being very agency over the radio about any risk of his team-mate being allowed to assault. Ralf was advised to carry station and Hill duly reeled off the laps to provide Eddie Jordan an emotional first win as an F1 group boss.

PLUS: Damon Hill’s best drives

Hill jumps for pleasure whereas Schumacher makes an attempt to maintain his emotions over Jordan group orders to himself

Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photos