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IIt was more of a way of life than a motto. So much so that it even bore the acronym “FTB” eddie jordan’s right wrist and the wrists of his four children; A reminder to constantly embody the phrase, which, according to the website Irish Hidden Treasures, symbolizes “defiance and resilience”, and refusing to let “negativity” dampen one’s ambitions.
Seems like an appropriately inappropriate way to start talking about the late Jordan. Legendary rock-and-roll Formula One team owner And Pandit, who? Died in March at the age of 76I say, “Excuse my language so quickly.” “But that was clearly the key phrase of his life: Fake the Begrudgers.”
His wife Mary Jordan, whom he married in 1979, is quick to chime in: “You can believe I’ve become well used to it,” she says, laughing. “Next time you want to say it, don’t hesitate!” The ice is well and truly broken.
Undoubtedly, “FTB” was the core ethos of the man known to his friends and colleagues as “EJ”, a much-loved Irishman who touched every corner of the world. f1 Paddock over 30 years. The wave of emotions and tributes upon his tragic passing earlier this year, after a year-long battle with bladder and prostate cancer, highlighted not only his admiration, but also the widespread impact of his omnipresent style of fiery wit that blended business and sports.
“You don’t change your place,” Mary says of the man she met through an ex-boyfriend at a Dublin disco. Even in the mid-1970s, the “FTB” was entrenched. “Watching him on television, you would also know that he did not back down.
“He was never afraid of anything or anyone. When he was a pundit, he didn’t need that job. So whether he was attacked and said something positive or negative, he didn’t care. That made him quite a dangerous man in that position.”
To those of a younger generation, Jordan is best known as an integral part of the three-pronged presenting structure at the BBC alongside Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard for those half-a-dozen years.
Yet his main achievements in the game are not the only ones listed to testify to all Michael Schumacher For example, his F1 debut at Spa in 1991 – but also Jordan’s steadfast principles of life, signed and sealed with an indomitable Irish quick wit and vivacity.
These principles, 25 in total, are the basis of a new book based on Jordan’s high-octane lifestyle. Lessons from a life of full throttle, motorsport, money and mischiefWritten by a close friend, manager and Irish compatriot, Keith O’Loughlin.
“It wasn’t just the Begrudgers,” O’Loughlin expands. “It was anyone who said something was impossible. Saying ‘no’ to Eddie just meant that you needed to ask questions and challenge. He would rally against people who were telling him no and just say, ‘I’m doing it, fuck you.’ He was incredibly determined.”
This was the basis of Jordan’s mantra of never sitting still. When he realized that a career in accountancy at the Bank of Ireland was too simple, he immediately took up karting before launching his own team, Jordan Grand Prix, in 1991. Not always the fastest by any means, the team clad in yellow, and their enthusiastic team boss, could never be ignored.
F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone Knew it better than most. Given Jordan’s sharp and dependable business style, he sent his disciples to work in China and Bahrain at the beginning of the century, as negotiations were concluded to hold a Grand Prix in those countries. Ecclestone came to rely on Jordan as a man who could get the job done.
Not that such trust necessarily extended to his spouse. “I tried to stay away from Bernie, I found him calculating,” says Mary. “In the beginning, I needed a full-time [paddock] pass. And Bernie said to me: ‘But what about the other girl who comes in?!’ I said you are talking nonsense.
“But Eddie screwed people the right way. Whenever I deal with a corporate person, I’m always amazed at how straightforward they are. But Eddie was the opposite, completely irreverent. A sponsor would come in and Eddie would immediately say, ‘I’m going to pull your pants down.’ And that’s just it: He’s already got control.”
Even after the sale of his team in 2005, Jordan fully immersed himself in the globe-trotting F1 circus. His candor permeated the punditry even in his final years, when he presented a podcast called formula for success – Leaning solely on Coulthard as well as another well-used acronym. And perhaps his most notable final deal was acting Adrian NeweyManager of F1 Design Guru Move from Red Bull to Aston Martin earlier this year.
Newey and Jordan formed a friendship in Cape Town, a city that became Jordan’s spiritual home, with a house in Clifton overlooking the sea. Not that it slowed him down.
“Six weeks before he passed away, he was on stage [rock band] Mike and the mechanic were playing drums,” O’Loughlin recalls. Jordan in his heyday was famous for closing F1 weekends by performing with his band, Eddie and the Robbers. “He was still doing podcasts, too. He always said ‘don’t tell mom’ [referring to Marie]He’ll have Red Bull, go on a podcast and be amazing.”
Poignantly, Mary and O’Loughlin are keen to expand on Jordan’s long-standing legacy. eddie jordan As O’Loughlin says, the foundation is not a “charity focused on giving away money”, but rather “helping anyone of any age who has a business idea… We’ve got their principles by osmosis and we just want to share them.” And the most omnipresent anxiety and excitement of them all was there right up to the end.
“The day after the prostate was removed, he was talking to Adrien in Monaco [Newey] About the move and the deal,” Mary says of her final weeks. “He remained strong for most of it, until about February. But he didn’t want to live that way – it was all or nothing.