The sports world is abuzz with discussion following the unexpected confession made by former F1 mogul, Eddie Jordan. On the widely-followed podcast, “Formula for Success,” Jordan confessed to shrewd activities involving Ferrari and famed driver Michael Schumacher, leaving listeners puzzling over the implications of his startling admission.
This admission left listeners scratching their heads about the backstory of this. Jordan who is worth $600 million today was famous for running the Jordan F1 team back in the 1990s. Before he cited the crimes against Ferrari confession, his co-host David Coulthard praised him to survive amongst the big fishes like Stefano Domenicali who was working at Ferrari & several other big bosses in F1’s Piranha club.
In a forthright declaration, Jordan hilariously confessed, “What he doesn’t realize, and doesn’t remember guys, is that I robbed him on many occasions with [Jean] Alesi, with Stephen Johansson, with Barrichello, with Irvine, with Fisichella, and with Michael Schumacher. He said this directly addressing Stefano Domenicali, who was starting his career at Ferrari at the time Jordan mentions the so-called robberies took place in the 90s decade.
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Several of these drivers had been in the fray at different times for a seat at Jordan or Ferrari & some even drove for both. Jordan’s claim may be referring to how he managed to win some of these signing battles. On this, Domenicali affirmed Jordan’s claim by saying, “True, that is a fact.” Jordan went on to recall his interactions with a young Michael Schumacher in 1990, a promising driver who went on to bring unprecedented success to Ferrari and himself.
Jordan may not have had a long association with Michael Schumacher but he is certainly a pivotal man who got the German talent in the spotlight. It always will be an eternally interesting anecdote showcasing the blockbuster entry of Schumacher in F1 & how Eddie Jordan was a key character in the entire saga.
Michael Schumacher and The Jordan Debut
Michael Schumacher, a seven-time Drivers’ Champion, seized his opportunity in 1991 and made a tremendous splash in his debut race at Spa. Replacing an arrested driver in the Jordan team midseason, the German talent achieved the team’s highest qualifying position that season by securing a magnificent seventh place.
Jordan narrates, “Right exactly here, in 1990, a young guy came here, and we had to do a test on Wednesday for him to go to Spa, and that was the first race. He brought them success, gave himself seven world titles.” Eddie Jordan’s unexpected admission certainly reiterates the influence he had on the legacy of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.
In an era where midseason entries for newcomers were a rarity, Schumacher’s manager, Willi Weber, leveraged his rapport with Jordan team owner, Eddie Jordan, to secure a place for Schumacher. This decision came with a cost, as Weber spent $635 merely on phone calls to Eddie. Schumacher’s impressive debut with Jordan put him in the limelight and led to a full-time offer from the team. Yet, Schumacher abruptly shifted to Benetton after a single race, sparking controversy.
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Looking back, this move was a pivotal point in Schumacher’s career. His 4 & half years with Benetton (1991-1995) resulted in his first two world championships toward the end in ’94 & ’95. His subsequent switch to Ferrari was equally eye-catching. Regardless, Michael proved the move right & the rest is history with a rampant dominant run of 5 consecutive world titles in the 2000s.
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Still one would wonder if Schumacher could have achieved so much had he made a different decision on his Jordan deal in the 90s!
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