During his multiple decades in the F1 paddock, Eddie Jordan developed a reputation as a legendary personality, crafty deal-maker and a close friend and advisor to many, but there were many elements of the Irishman’s life that were unknown to new fans.

After Jordan’s death on Thursday, at age 76, Express Sport looks back on some lesser-known elements of the former eponymous team owner’s life.

Life-changing accident and alopecia

Jordan sported a number of wigs during his time in the F1 paddock. In 1972, one year after winning the Irish Kart Championship, he suffered a life-changing crash that hit his nervous system and left him with alopecia.

“When I was young, I had a very serious accident,” he told the Metro in 2009. “I broke both legs and damaged a nerve. I have alopecia, and I got the right people to look after me. I’ve no problem with talking about that.”

Drummer alter-ego

He famously described the Jordan Grand Prix squad as “rock’n’roll”, and this ethos translated away from the track as well. Jordan developed a love for drumming as a teenager and carried this into his adult life.

He played in a band named V10 until 2007, and the group still exists today, touring under the name Eddie and the Robbers. Jordan’s outfit played at a number of race events, and he even made a guest appearance on the drums at a Rick Astley concert at the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix.

Humble beginnings

By the time of his death, Jordan’s fortune was measured in the hundreds of millions of pounds, but the Dublin-born entrepreneur started his career as a bank clerk in his birth city in 1967, fresh from a brief stint learning dentistry as a student. “I was by far the best person at opening new accounts,” he later explained in 2004.

In a roundabout way, this job led him to a career in motorsport. Jordan travelled to Jersey during a banking strike in 1970, and it was there that he discovered karting. Upon returning home, he bought one of his own, and one year later, he was the Irish champion.

Fanatic art collector

Alongside his rock-and-roll lifestyle, Jordan had a taste for the fine elements of culture. The former team owner was described as an ‘avid art collector’ and supported a number of Irish artists, including Felim Egan and Louis le Brocquy.

In 2020, he purchased a major new artwork from London-based artist Nat Bowen for £40,500. As always, he linked the masterpiece back to his F1 life. “The artwork is sensational,” he said. “The only problem I have is which wall to put it on! We experimented with resin on Formula One cars many years ago, but we could never get it as smooth as this.”

Adrian Newey deal

Jordan was active in the F1 community until the end of life. Aside from working on his Formula For Success podcast with close friend David Coulthard, he played a significant role in orchestrating Adrian Newey’s blockbuster move to Aston Martin after the legendary aerodynamicist departed Red Bull in early 2024.

Newey’s contract is worth a reported £30million per year, making him one of the best-paid non-driving staff in F1 history, and Jordan enjoyed a cut of the deal. Jordan explained the relationship on his podcast: “My role is very clear. I gather the information. I put it on paper.

“I don’t make my recommendation. He says from time to time: ‘What would you do, if you were me?’ I say: ‘This is how I see it, but I may be biased towards you going racing, or going rallying around the world’. We understand each other’s mentalities.”