Martin Brundle shares emotional tribute to F1 legend Eddie Jordan

Martin Brundle has shared an emotional tribute to legendary former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, who has died aged 76.

Jordan, who last year was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The flamboyant Irishman ran the self-titled Jordan Grand Prix team from 1991 to 2005, winning four races in 250 entries.

Jordan later went on to become a broadcaster and worked for BBC Sport and Channel 4.

Brundle contested his final grand prix season with the Jordan team in 1996 and shared his memories of the F1 icon.

"I'm really sad to hear that Eddie has succumbed to his illness,” the Briton said on Sky Sports.

“He's not been feeling well for quite a while but this has taken him relatively quickly. He was such a character and we will miss him a lot.

"I first raced for Eddie in F3 when we had a pound between us and somehow he hustled and got the car and everything together and we had a great season. That sums him up.

"There are so many drivers in this paddock and formerly on the grid in F1 that would need to thank him, the likes of Eddie Jordan and Jean Alesi, where Eddie gave us a chance in junior racing and promoted us like crazy to get an F1 seat.

"I was lucky enough to drive for him in F1 itself with the Jordan team to close the circle. Just like many other drivers like Damon Hill, Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, they were given a chance because of Eddie and his entrepreneurial spirit and racing mentality.

"The sport will be poorer without him because of what he achieved and what he stood for and what a racer he was.”

Eddie Jordan ‘influenced everyone’ positively

1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill claimed Jordan’s first race win at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, leading a stunning 1-2 for the team.

It marked the 22nd and final victory of Hill’s career.

“We’re all very sad and shocked,” Hill told BBC Sport.

“We knew Eddie was fighting the disease and whilst we knew it was serious we thought there might be a chance that he’d win, but sadly he’s lost that.

“They’ll never be anyone like Eddie Jordan. My thoughts just go to the Jordan family, who are lovely people.

“Eddie was a huge influence on me and many, many people in motorsport and around the world. They’ll never be anyone like him.

“He was gregarious, he was irreverent, he was crazy. I lived in Ireland when I raced with Eddie and I was privileged to have won a grand prix with Eddie and seen the affect he had.

“He influenced everyone. There isn’t a single person in that era and since really who has not been affected positively by Eddie. He gave a huge amount to charity, he never stopped.

“He never wasted a single second of his life and he energised everyone he was near. It’s a huge loss.”

The F1 world has come together in paying tribute to Jordan.