Eddie Jordan tells Ayrton Senna ownership story in SENSATIONAL revelation

Ayrton Senna

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Legendary F1 boss admits SENSATIONAL revelation about Senna

Ayrton Senna was nearly lured into a driver and a 50 per cent ownership role

Dan McCarthy

Saturday 20 May 2023 11:57

Eddie Jordan says he offered 50 per cent of his team to Ayrton Senna to try and get him on board for the 1994 season, as well as a future ownership position.

The Brazilian was a three-time world champion and enjoyed his most successful period with McLaren, winning the title for the Northamptonshire-based team in 1988, 1990, and 1991.

He sought a new challenge at the end of the 1993 season and joined Williams where he would drive three races before being tragically killed at Imola in a high-speed accident.

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Eddie Jordan made an ambitious bid to land Ayrton Senna while Jordan team boss

Recounting his days as a team principal, Eddie Jordan said he came close to signing Senna and the contract stipulated he would have to stay on as a team owner.

“He was disillusioned at McLaren. It was before he went to Williams, he just wasn’t happy,” Jordan told David Coulthard on the Formula For Success podcast.

“Believe this or not, but I offered him 50 per cent, free of charge, to come and drive for Jordan, but he would have to stay on as an owner, because I believed, with Senna in the team, the actual value of the team would be more than doubled."

Senna could have transformed Jordan

At the time, Senna was regarded as the most gifted driver F1 had ever seen and there was something of a clamour for his signature after he decided to leave McLaren.

With Alain Prost leaving Williams and settling into retirement, a space opened up and the team went after the Brazilian, offering him a contract reported to be worth around $20million.

He struggled to get used to the handling of the car and his death left a gigantic hole in the sport.

Senna spent the best days of his while driving for McLaren - winning three world titles

Jordan says things could have been different and believes getting Senna would have been a business masterstroke.

"In other words, the half that I was losing – I thought this would be such a cool stroke.

“First, I get a guy like Senna in my car, get the team, the recognition of the team, the sponsorship income would multiply by an amazing amount.

“Now I’m not saying that he would have done it. But we were very far into the negotiations about what he wanted to do. He wanted to have a team and I was giving him that opportunity.”