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Horner pays tribute to Jordan after death: 'So many people owe him'
- Ewan J Gale
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has insisted Formula 1 will be a "poorer place" after the death of Eddie Jordan.
Jordan died ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend after a battle with cancer, closing a chapter in F1 that saw him take on the biggest teams with his small privateer outfit, before becoming a much-loved pundit on television screens in the United Kingdom.
He famously gave opportunities in F1 to race-winning drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Eddie Irvine, Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher and battled for the title in 1999, only to ultimately fall short of Ferrari and McLaren.
Remembering the Irishman, Horner said: "It's incredibly sad.
Horner reveals personal Jordan memories
"He was such a great and inspiring person, someone who took his team all the way to Formula 1 from the grassroots in Formula Ford. He will be greatly missed," added Horner, who spent a year as a team principal opposite the Jordan team in 2005 when Red Bull joined the grid.
"My personal memories of him go back to 1991, when I was a young, ambitious driver and first met him. He had just moved into a factory he had built near Silverstone. Despite the late hour, he took the time to talk to me about the next steps in my career. His advice was, "In motorsport, you need a good sponsor. And welcome to the Piranha Club'.
"He was really a flamboyant figure, always a pleasure to have around. He was the soul of every party. His love of music was legendary - he and his band wanted to play everywhere. He will be greatly missed. The sport is a poorer place without Eddie.
"He gave so many drivers opportunities - he was a great champion of young talent. And not just drivers, but engineers, technicians and designers. So many people in this paddock owe him something for the opportunities he provided. It was a very sad day to hear of his passing."
Four-time champion Max Verstappen also paid tribute, explaining: "He really had his own sense of humour, which was nice. He also organised a party in Monaco once, which was a few years ago. It was very enjoyable, lots of laughter and enjoying life, and you can see why now.
"This [Jordan's team] is absolutely part of Formula 1. I always thought the team was cool. They were beautiful cars. He had a feeling for liveries and how to put sponsorships on them.
"You kind of miss that now, but he was around the paddock for a long time, and I think he always had a lot of friends."
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom.
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