'Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed.'
Eddie Jordan, the charismatic Irish entrepreneur whose team gave Michael Schumacher a Formula One debut in 1991, has died of cancer at home in South Africa aged 76, his family said on Thursday.
Jordan, who later became a television pundit, entered the 'Piranha Club' world of Grand Prix racing with his eponymous Silverstone-based team in 1991 and stayed until financial troubles led to a sale in 2005.
After multiple changes of name and ownership, it now competes as Aston Martin.
"EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence," the family said in a statement.
They said Jordan had died in the early hours in Cape Town with his family beside him.
Born on March 30, 1948, Jordan competed in motor racing's junior series before becoming a driver manager and then a team owner.
The F1 team and their lively publicity-seeking owner brought a "rock and roll" image to the sport -- with glamour models draped over cars and plenty of tabloid headlines -- but also punched above their weight in beating long-established rivals.
Germany's seven-times World champion Schumacher made his debut with them at Spa-Francorchamps after Belgian driver Bertrand Gachot was jailed for spraying a London taxi driver with CS gas.
The team were short of cash and Schumacher, still largely unknown and racing in sports cars, was available and had a persuasive manager and a wad of Mercedes money.
The German was immediately poached by Flavio Briatore's Benetton, where he won titles in 1994 and 1995, but younger brother Ralf had a longer stint with Jordan in 1997 and 1998.
Britain's Damon Hill, the 1996 champion with Williams, was a race winner with Jordan in 1998. The team finished third overall behind Ferrari and McLaren in the 1999 constructors' championship and won four races in all.
"He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow," the family statement said of Jordan.
Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali, a former Ferrari team boss, said he was deeply saddened.
"With his inexhaustible energy, he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times," said the Italian.
"Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed."
Speaking openly about his cancer, Jordan said in December that he had gone through "very dark days" since the diagnosis of aggressive bladder and prostate cancer that spread into the spine and the pelvis.
The Irishman remained busy, serving as manager for top designer Adrian Newey and patron of London Irish rugby club.
"Eddie Jordan was a true racer, a great leader and one of the biggest characters in our sport," said Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll. "He was a friend who I have known for more than 30 years and I will miss him greatly."
Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin paid tribute to a compatriot who he said "lived life to the full, facing his final days with the same courage and tenacity displayed throughout many years as an entrepreneur, F1 pioneer and TV pundit."
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