Today he's a joke figure who wears ridiculous shirts. But once Eddie Jordan was a team principal, possibly still a joke figure, admittedly, but his team did not do too badly.
Their first season was in 1991, with a green and blue 191 which goes down as one of the very best debut cars ever, and they finished 5th in the WCC. The other debutant that year was Lamborghini/Modena, who did not impress. The next year saw Andrea Moda enter the fray. Entering F1 was not easy, but Jordan did it with flying colours.
They picked up their first pole position at Spa in 1994, and their first win (and one-two) at the same venue 4 years later. They then went on to their year of years, where Heinz-Harald Frentzen led Jordan to 3rd in both Championships.
OK, so it fell apart somewhat. Despite a victory for Giancarlo Fisichella at Interlagos in 2003, 2003-05 would be the swansong, fighting with Minardi at the rear. But EJ and his team had built a team with no heritage, at a time when F1 entrants proliferated, and made it successful.
Their first season was in 1991, with a green and blue 191 which goes down as one of the very best debut cars ever, and they finished 5th in the WCC. The other debutant that year was Lamborghini/Modena, who did not impress. The next year saw Andrea Moda enter the fray. Entering F1 was not easy, but Jordan did it with flying colours.
They picked up their first pole position at Spa in 1994, and their first win (and one-two) at the same venue 4 years later. They then went on to their year of years, where Heinz-Harald Frentzen led Jordan to 3rd in both Championships.
OK, so it fell apart somewhat. Despite a victory for Giancarlo Fisichella at Interlagos in 2003, 2003-05 would be the swansong, fighting with Minardi at the rear. But EJ and his team had built a team with no heritage, at a time when F1 entrants proliferated, and made it successful.