Rest In Power, Eddie Jordan: Michael Schumacher & 10 Other F1 Stars Who Debuted Under Him

An icon of motorsports and former Formula 1 (F1) team owner Eddie Jordan has died — 10 days before his 77th birthday. 

A charismatic team owner, smart businessman, and sharp TV pundit, Jordan lived a full life, changing the lives of those around him. He was brave and unorthodox, never shying away from doing what he believed in.

ing Eddie Jordan, the legendary F1 team owner and all-round entertainer 💛 pic.twitter.com/ZVcZtJBYkZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 20, 2025

In 1980, Jordan founded his own racing team, Eddie Jordan Racing. Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert eventually came on board and put Jordan on the map in British F3.

After winning Formula 3000 with Jean Alesi in 1989, Jordan entered F1 in 1991. According to rumours, Eddie Jordan wanted to sign Ayrton Senna, but the Brazilian was with McLaren at the time and did not consider switching. Although Jordan missed out on Senna, his team got to nurture many brilliant drivers, including the legendary Michael Schumacher, until their dream run ended in 2005.

In honour of the former drummer of ‘Eddie and the Robbers’, we will take a look at the 11 drivers who made their F1 debut with Jordan.

Let’s begin!

#11 Narain Karthikeyan – 2005

India’s first-ever F1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan got his debut with Jordan Grand Prix at the Australian GP in 2005. Karthikeyan spent one season with Eddie Jordan’s team before losing his F1 seat. His best finish came in the United States GP when he finished 4th after all Michelin cars withdrew from the race.

Karthikeyan participated in 19 races in 2005, finishing 18th with five points. He returned to F1 in 2011 with HRT and took part in a total of 28 races before bidding the sport goodbye. Across Jordan and HRT, Karthikeyan had 47 races, scoring five points.

#10 Tiago Monteiro – 2005

Tiago Monteiro made his F1 debut with Jordan alongside rookie teammate Narain Karthikeyan at the 2005 Australian GP. Monteiro won the head-to-head battle with the Indian driver, finishing 16th in the Drivers’ Championship after picking up seven points. By finishing third in the USA GP, Monteiro gave Jordan their final podium.

Monteiro stayed put after Midland purchased Jordan (2006) but could not score any points. Before crashing out of Formula 1 in 2007, Monteiro competed in 37 races, scoring seven points.

#9 Timo Glock – 2004

Timo Glock made his F1 debut with Jordan in 2004. Driving as Giorgio Pantano’s substitute, he took part in four races. He finished seventh on his debut at the Canada GP, scoring two points.

In 2008, he returned to F1, g for Toyota. He scored 51 points in 2008 and 24 in 2009. Between 2010 and 2012, he was with Marussia/Virgin Racing. Despite giving it his all, Glock did not score a single point in three seasons.

He participated in 97 races in his F1 career, getting three podiums and amassing 77 points.

#8 Giorgio Pantano – 2004

Giorgio Pantano signed for Jordan in 2004, shortly after his deal with Jaguar fell through. Due to a lack of pre-season, Pantano struggled to get to grips with the car and failed to score points in any of the 14 races he drove. He lost his seat to Timo Glock towards the end of the season.

Pantano’s F1 career was disappointing, but he found success in GP2 (now F2), winning the championship in 2008.

#7 Zsolt Baumgartner – 2003

The first and only Hungarian Formula 1 driver, Zsolt Baumgartner made his debut with Jordan at the 2003 Hungarian GP, replacing the injured Ralph Firman.

He also raced in the Italian GP but lost his seat after Firman returned. He could not score any points for Eddie Jordan’s team.

In 2004, Minardi signed him. He got 18 more races under his belt, with his best result coming in USA GP. He finished 8th in the USA, becoming the only Hungarian point scorer.

Due to a lack of funding, Baumgartner’s F1 career ended after 2004.

#6 Ralph Firman – 2003

Ralph Firman made his F1 debut with Jordan in 2003. The Irishman scored his first and only point of his career at the Spanish GP, clinching the 8th place.

Firman had a huge crash in Hungarian GP practice, which ruled him out for the race as well as the weekend in Italy. Zsolt Baumgartner filled in until he recovered.

Due to Jordan’s financial struggles, Firman lost his seat. And because of his poor showings, none of the other teams on the grid took a gamble on him.

#5 Takuma Sato – 2002

Japanese motorsports legend Takuma Sato got his first taste of Formula 1 action with Jordan at the 2002 Australian GP. His aggressive driving style caught everyone’s attention, and soon enough, he opened his . Sato finished 5th at the 2002 Japan GP, snatching 2 points.

Sato moved to BAR Honda as a reserve driver in 2003, earning his shot in 2004. He spectacularly finished 3rd at the 2004 USA GP, securing the first and only podium of his career. His heroics helped BAR finish second in the Constructors’ Championship.

Between 2006 and 2008, he drove for Super Aguri. A 6th-place finish at the 2007 Canadian GP, during which he ed Fernando Alonso’s McLaren, was the highlight of his time with the underdogs. He retired from the sport after Super Aguri ran out of funds in 2008.

In 2017, Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500. He added another title in 2020.

#4 Ralf Schumacher – 1997

Despite testing for McLaren, Ralf Schumacher signed a three-year deal with Jordan in 1997, making his debut at the Australian GP. He took the first podium of his career in Argentina and ended his debut campaign with 13 points, finishing 11th in the Drivers’ Championship.

Schumacher’s Jordan suffered reliability issues the following season, leading to multiple retirements in the first part of the season. He got back on the podium in Belgium, finishing second behind teammate Damon Hill. In the following race, in Italy, Schumacher finished third. Shortly after, Williams announced they had signed Schumacher for the 1999 season. With 14 points, the German finished 10th in the Drivers’ Championship in 1998.

Schumacher spent six seasons at Williams, winning six Grands Prix, before ing Toyota. He finished 3rd in Hungary (2005) and Australia (2006) but could not secure a victory. Before retiring in 2007, he took part in 180 races, securing a total of 329 points.

#3 Eddie Irvine – 1993

Eddie Irvine took part in his first F1 race as a Jordan driver at the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix. He scored a point on his debut, finishing sixth. He famously unlapped himself against race winner Ayrton Senna, leading to an altercation in Jordan’s hospitality unit. Senna threw a punch at him and got a two-race ban.

He got his first podium with Jordan in 1995, coming home in third place at the Canadian GP. Jordan wanted to keep him for two more years, but Ferrari bought out his contract.

Irvine was at Ferrari between 1996 and 1999, primarily serving as Michael Schumacher’s wingman. He spectacularly won four races and finished 2nd in the championship behind Mika Hakkinen in 1999.

The final stretch of his impressive career came at Jaguar. Despite not getting a competitive car, he secured two 3rd-place finishes before retiring in 2002.

#2 Rubens Barrichello – 1993

Ahead of the 1993 Formula One season, promising talent Rubens Barrichello signed a lucrative deal with Jordan. His first season was disappointing, as the car was far from reliable. He only scored two points in 1993 and finished 18th in the Drivers’ Championship.

In 1994, he got his first podium (3rd) and nicked two fourth-place finishes. With 19 points, he finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship. The following year, Barrichello secured 2nd place in the Canadian GP. However, due to Jordan’s reliability issues, he could not push for the championship.

Between 1997 and 1999, Barrichello raced for Stewart GP, giving them their first podium at the 1997 Monaco GP. He secured three podiums in 1999, paving the road for his move to Ferrari. From 2000 to 2005, he won nine races with Ferrari, getting on the podium a total of 55 times. He finished runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship behind teammate Michael Schumacher in 2002 and 2004.

His final wins in Formula 1 came with Brawn GP in 2009. The Brazilian took the chequered flag in Europe and Italy GPs.

#1 Michael Schumacher – 1991

The great Michael Schumacher made his Jordan debut at the 1991 Belgian GP. He dazzled in Quali, finishing P7 and outqualifying teammate Andrea de Cesaris. His race, however, was a disappointment, as he had to retire due to clutch failure.

Benetton poached Schumacher right after Belgian GP, and the rest, as they say, is history. He won his first race with Benetton in 1992, and claimed his first Drivers’ Championship a couple of years later. He defended his crown with applomb in 1995.

In 1996, he ed Ferrari, and four years later, took them to their first title in 21 years. Schumacher won five straight titles (until 2004) — a record that Max Verstappen is chasing this year. The German retired in 2006 after losing the title to Fernando Alonso.

At 41, he returned to Formula 1 with Mercedes. Although he could not win with the Silver Arrows, he got on the podium in Valencia 2012, becoming the oldest podium finisher since 1970. In 2012, Schumacher retired from the sport for good.