Eddie Jordan's Team at Silverstone

An Irish entrepreneur's team gave Michael Schumacher his debut, won four Grands Prix and finished third in the 1999 championship.

Eddie Jordan raced briefly in the late 1970s before founding Eddie Jordan Racing in the early 1980s. His team made its name in British Formula Three, moved up to Formula 3000 in 1988 and won that title with Jean Alesi in 1989. For 1991 it stepped into Formula One as Jordan Grand Prix, based at Silverstone but racing with an Irish license.

The first season, with Ford engines and drivers Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot, brought fifth place in the constructors' standings. It is also remembered for the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher made his Formula One debut in a Jordan, qualifying seventh, before Benetton signed him for the next race. Through the 1990s the team ran Yamaha, Hart and Peugeot engines and gave early chances to drivers such as Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine.

The breakthrough came with Mugen Honda power. At the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, Damon Hill won and Ralf Schumacher finished second, a one two finish for the team. In 1999 Heinz Harald Frentzen won in France and Italy, and Jordan finished third in the constructors' championship, its best result, with Frentzen third among the drivers. A final victory came with Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Early in 2005 the team was sold to the Midland Group, which raced it as Jordan for one last season, ending at the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix. It then became Midland, Spyker and Force India, and its lineage continues at Aston Martin. In 15 seasons Jordan started 250 World Championship races and won four.

Drivers

• Michael Schumacher