Opinion: Formula One needs people like Eddie Jordan - he'll be sorely missed

In the ever evolving world of F1 – now a global juggernaut of speed and spotless PR – the loss of Eddie Jordan feels seismic. Not because he was still on the pitwall or publicly pulling strings in the paddock (although he was still absolutely doing that under the radar – note the Adrian Newey to Aston deal), but because voices like his are vanishing.

Loud, honest, unpolished and unmistakably human, Eddie was the sport’s living antidote to the hyper-managed, sponsor-sanitised travelling circus.

Eddie Jordan wasn’t just a team boss. He was a true character and the best raconteur I have ever met. The kind of man who could spot talent a mile off – Michael Schumacher, anyone? – and still crack a joke with mechanics five minutes later. He ran his team like a rock band on tour: charismatic, chaotic and bursting with heart. His DNA permeated the ranks of the team, and does to this day in its current iteration – Aston Martin – where a handful of his loyal employees are still on its payroll.

F1 is on a golden run, new fans pour in by the millions, but the flip side of that is big tech, big money and bigger image control have swept through like a desert sandstorm, polishing every surface. We are at risk of not telling the whole truth, for fear of upsetting the corporate bosses and social media mobs.

Eddie never hesitated. He said what he thought, not what he thought would trend well. He also had a strong sense of right and wrong. He once found out that a team boss had been rude to me, mistakenly thinking I had been the source of erroneous information about his team. Eddie steamed straight in there and demanded an immediate apology.

Eddie could also be brash, unpredictable and occasionally wrong, but that’s what made him real, and why we loved him. He reminded us that F1 isn’t just about data and tyre deg, it is about people, egos, passion, risk, triumph and failure. He was perhaps at his most authentic when at home with his wife Marie, children and grandchildren.

Just this past Christmas he sent out a video Christmas card with them all singing, dancing and playing musical instruments – it was gorgeous. Notably Eddie was right at the back, letting his kids and grandkids take turns centre stage.

As our sport soars to new exciting heights, let’s not forget that characters like Eddie are irreplaceable. F1 will go on becoming glossier, grander and more compelling, but it will be just a little less mad and maverick without him.

There will never be another Eddie Jordan – which is a huge loss when the sport needs characters like him more than ever.