Bernie Ecclestone “won’t go” to Eddie Jordan’s funeral

Bernie Ecclestone has explained why he will not attend the funeral of his old friend Eddie Jordan.

Former F1 team owner Jordan died on Thursday after a battle with cancer, at the age of 76.

Ecclestone, 94, had stayed in contact with Jordan after each of their F1 heydays came to an end.

Bernie Ecclestone pays respect to Eddie Jordan

“I am very, very sad because Eddie was a special guy,” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail.

“Tell me which team principal today is like him. You can’t give me one because there isn’t one.

“They don’t make them like that now. We will never replace him in Formula One.

“He had been ill for some months. I last heard he was given two diagnoses by different doctors.

“One told him he was in trouble and another that all his problems had gone away. Now we know the answer, unfortunately.”

Ecclestone continued: “With Eddie, you always knew where you stood. We could joke and laugh at each other.

“We were very close in a strange way. We trusted each other.”

Jordan founded the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team in 1991, and they won four grands prix. They finished third in the 1999 season.

Jordan will go down in history after giving a debut to a young Michael Schumacher.

But, he could never cling onto Schumacher who was destined to move on.

“We stole Schumacher from him, telling him Michael would be going to Benetton in 1992, and we discussed this through a whole night session,” Ecclestone remembered.

“You learn a lot about people in circumstances like those.

“He was fighting to keep his driver but was happy if he got a few dollars in exchange for Michael going. Eddie was always looking for a few dollars in a completely nice way.

“I would have given him an open cheque because I trusted him totally.”

However, Ecclestone will steer clear of Jordan’s funeral.

“I won’t be going to his funeral. I don’t go to funerals,” he said.

“I may not go to mine. He certainly won’t go to mine. So, it’s all fair. It always was with Eddie.”

The entire Formula 1 paddock, at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, has paused to pay tribute to Jordan.

Jordan’s family announced his passing, in Cape Town, early on Thursday morning.