Eddie Jordan is what one might call a man who managed to build a successful story, both in sports and business, literally from scratch, without wealthy sponsors or a large family fortune backing him. A native of Dublin, Ireland, Eddie raced in British Formula 3 in the 1970s before stepping away from the wheel and embarking on a managerial career by founding Eddie Jordan Racing in 1980. The team focused on running cars for paying drivers. The endeavor was successful right from the start, and in 1982, the team scored its first victories in the European Formula 3 Championship with James Weaver. The following seasons brought further success, with drivers like Martin Brundle, Tommy Byrne, Allen Berg, Martin Donnelly, and Damon Hill achieving multiple wins in cars managed by Jordan, both in Formula 3 and Formula 3000. Eddie Jordan proved himself not only a skilled and competent team manager, but above all, an exceptional talent scout.
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| JORDAN 191, Bertrand Gachot Montréal, Canadian GP 1991 |
In 1982, he welcomed a young Brazilian, Ayrton Senna, into his team and offered him his first real opportunity in Europe. In 1986, he launched the promising Johnny Herbert, who the following year suffered a major crash in Formula 3000 while driving a Jordan. Another notable move came in 1989 when he surprisingly signed young Frenchman Jean Alesi, who stunned everyone by winning the Formula 3000 European Championship that same year. It’s no surprise, then, that in the year of his team’s debut in Formula 1, it was Irish team manager Eddie Jordan who gave Michael Schumacher his first start, stepping in to replace Bertrand Gachot at the Belgian Grand Prix. Other future champions discovered by Eddie Jordan include Rubens Barrichello, Eddie Irvine, and Ralf Schumacher. By 1990, with a solid track record, extensive on-track experience, and a strong reputation in the racing world, Eddie Jordan decided to take the big leap and launch a Formula 1 program for the 1991 season.
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| JORDAN 911, John Watson private tests at Silverstone Circuit |
Jordan entrusted the car’s design to technical director Gary Anderson, the man behind the Reynard chassis used by Jordan’s Formula 3000 team. He was assisted by Mark Smith and Andrew Green, who handled the development of the suspension and transmission. After submitting the necessary documentation, the FIA granted the newly formed Jordan Grand Prix the license to compete in the 1991 season. The “Jordan 911” was assembled in the team’s brand-new facility located just steps from the Silverstone circuit. It made its first outing on November 28th on the British track, dressed in an elegant black livery and driven by British champion John Watson, who returned to the cockpit for the occasion. A few days later, Eddie Jordan received a telegram from Stuttgart: Porsche, displeased with the use of the “911” designation for the car, politely asked him to change the name. Following a meeting in Germany, it’s said that a sleek black Porsche 911 was delivered to Eddie’s home, and from that moment on, the name “911” was magically changed to “191.”
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| JORDAN 191, Bertrand Gachot Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1991 |
After Camel withdrew its sponsorship, having partnered with Jordan in Formula 3000 but already committed to Benetton in F1, Eddie secured 7-Up as the main sponsor for the team’s first Formula 1 season. The car sported a brilliant Irish green color. Jordan’s managerial skills also secured an engine supply contract with Ford, not for the standard DFRs, but for the top-tier HBA4 engines, capable of delivering 650 hp and previously exclusive to Benetton in 1990. The 191 thus became the first Jordan F1 car to hit the track and immediately proved to be a competitive machine. The car’s design incorporated several successful features, such as a narrow, raised nose with a full-width front wing curved upward at the center to improve airflow to the floor. The front wing also featured endplates with splitters and nolders to direct airflow past the turbulent suspension zone. The low side pods minimized drag and merged smoothly into the rear, reminiscent of the “violin case” design seen on Barnard’s Ferraris, enhancing the car’s "Coke-bottle" shape. The rear diffuser design echoed that of Oatley’s work on McLarens, completing an aerodynamic package that was both simple and extreme, focused on reducing drag, improving airflow, and maximizing downforce. Thanks to the 191’s strong performance, the team’s drivers, Italian Andrea de Cesaris and Frenchman Bertrand Gachot, easily passed pre-qualifying sessions, often setting lap times faster than more established teams. At the fifth race of the season in Canada, both cars scored the team’s first points, with De Cesaris finishing fourth and Gachot fifth. De Cesaris followed that with a points finish in Mexico and another in France, while Gachot finished sixth at Silverstone. In Germany, both drivers scored points.
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| JORDAN 191, Michael Schumacher Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1991 |
It was an unexpected success that quickly brought the Irish team into the spotlight. Gachot’s arrest in London just before the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps opened the door for Michael Schumacher to make his Formula 1 debut, impressively qualifying seventh. Unfortunately, his race ended on the first lap due to a clutch failure. Toward the end of the season, Brazilian Roberto Moreno and Italian Alessandro Zanardi also drove Gachot’s car after Schumacher’s move to Benetton, though they didn’t achieve notable results. By the end of the season, the 191 had accumulated 13 points, earning Eddie Jordan’s team an impressive fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship standings. Not even Eddie himself could have imagined such a successful debut in Formula 1.
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