British newspaper The Daily Express are reporting that former team owner Eddie Jordan could be about to make a comeback to Formula One, the Irish businessman being linked with the BBC as part of their 2009 commentary and broadcast team. The BBC have been very tight-lipped about their line-up for their 2009 return, with Martin Brundle and David Coulthard expected to take up roles amid speculation that the FIA are trying to block Brundle’s move.
Eddie Jordan hasn’t been completely away from Formula One and has attended a few races each year since he sold his Jordan team to the Midland Group in 2005. The squad has changed hands twice between then and now, and currently rests with Vijay Mallya in the guise of Force India. However, the drum-playing hero to many still retains his sense of humour, reportedly dumping a load of concrete on an entrance road to his former-factory near Silverstone earlier in the year over a dispute over land – Eddie wanted to sell it, Force India didn’t want to buy it.
A role with the BBC would be great for Eddie and I always love reading his columns and articles. Although Jordan can be outspoken at times, he manages to come across respectful and polite; a trait that many Formula One employees lack at the best of times. However, it is outspoken remarks that the FIA want to quell as much as possible.
Martin Brundle was taken to court last year over an article he wrote for the Times newspaper. A former Jordan driver himself, Martin commented that the FIA were on a witch-hunt against McLaren during the spy saga, and although the legal action was dropped, Brundle certainly didn’t endear himself with the narrow-minded and over-controlling governing body.
Duncan from vee8 wrote an excellent post earlier in the week about the apparent witch-hunt the FIA appear to have against Brundle. Although the funny thing about all this is the fact that Bernie Ecclestone once described Jordan as “the biggest thief in Formula One”. Somehow, I find that amusing. But then, whenever Eddie’s mentioned, there is nearly always something humorous in the story.
I think Eddie could do well as part of the BBC’s team, as long as he could speak in a way that didn’t require the swearbox to be used too much. However, the Brundle situation is more worrying for me.
I know the Beeb wouldn’t stand for it, but I think that may be the part that I want the most! As in, Eddie is usually outspoken about many things; he has no problem rocking boats. When it comes to Formula One, I would welcome that.
I get the impression that Eddie will be to willing to tow the line, something Brudle wasn`t. I think that if He is `Barred` from the BBC by the FiA, it will be the biggest travesty since Boudouis was penilised for travelling in a diminishing Arc after a pit stop while disturbing Max`s toy car ( did you see the size of that sucker during he`s interview, that must of cost a fortune, not that he paid for it! 😉
I’m happy about Eddie rocking boats. It’s how he goes about rocking boats that may be a problem to the BBC – they wouldn’t want too many “Angry from Tunbridge Wells” letters complaining about the language used in what is usually lunchtime programming…
I dunno. I will always remember the wingman role he played to Stoddart in the revenue sharing fiasco back in ’04 or whenever it was (there have been so many scandals in F1 in recent years I can no longer keep track of when they all occurred) and was found to be severely lacking in cohuna’s to stand up to the other team bosses.
How then, would he manage to stand up to the FIA and call them out when needed?
I remain unconvinced that he would be a fly in the FIA ointment.
I do though, love the concrete/Force India story which has gotta be worth considering him for that alone !
Pink Peril, that was Canada 2003. Possibly the most bizarre press conference F1 has ever seen. It didn’t exactly help that Mercedes had promised Jordan a $10m engine but Ford then threatened to withdraw its support from the GPMA if Mercedes didn’t withdraw its engine offer to Jordan. So EJ was stuck trying to balance being nice enough to the manufacturers to get the engine supply with being tough enough with them to get the fighting fund. As the conference records quite vividly, he failed completely.
He is tough enough to stand up to the FIA, and he has done several times since he stopped being a team manager. The trouble is that his position is relatively easily compromised. To use Pink Peril’s metaphor, he would be a fly in the FIA ointment, but squashed worryingly easily.
I think we need commentators that are willing to question the sports activities, whether good or bad.
I feel the ITV does this very well and I fear that the BBC will not be so forthcoming in their views.
I hope martin and mark are kept on for next year.
Stephen
I am all for EJ being part of the commentary team. He will be blunt and say what he is thinking. I can’t imagine had he been involved at Valencia, Spa, or Fuji that he would have toed the official FIA line on those penalties.
EJ has a way of saying things that generally gets him out of trouble rather than into it so I am not too worried about him upsetting the professionally sensitive BBC viewers.
By means of an example of getting himself out of trouble I give you my favourite EJ story. He was a budding racing driver getting as far as F3 before he decided that he was better running a team than driving. Early in his career he was coming back form a race towing his race car on a trailer at an extremely high rate of knots. He had a couple of mates in the car with him. He noticed a police car behind signalling him to stop. They all thought this time EJ would lose his license for sure as he was not a stranger to this kind of situation.
After a long chat with the policemen EJ returned to his car. He was asked wht the outcome was. ‘Yer man is coming to collect it on Wednesday’ replied EJ. Not only had he talked himself out of trouble but he had sold the car he was driving to the cop. You need to be a bit special to do that.
That has got to be the only time I have ever heard of anyone making money out of speeding on the public highway, Steven…
As a Jordan fanatic and follower I am delighted at this news. DC, one of my favourite drivers and Brundle, one of my favourite presenters.
Hey this is my dream team.
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