Eddie Jordan admits 90-race Formula 1 driver ‘crashed at every given moment’

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Eddie Jordan has admitted that it was a ‘miracle’ whenever his old driver Takuma Sato didn’t crash his car during his time in Formula 1.

The reliability of F1 cars has improved drastically in recent years, with Max Verstappen completing every single lap during the 2023 season in his Red Bull.

However, speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast, Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard were speaking about the Japanese driver who had more trouble keeping his car on the track rather than worrying about breaking down.

Eddie Jordan led the team bearing his name in Formula 1 for 15 seasons.

In that time, Jordan won four races, achieved 19 podiums and a pair of pole positions and fastest laps.

Some of the biggest names in the sport worked under the Irishman including Rubens Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill.

Jordan did plenty of work developing young drivers who went onto big things in Formula 1.

One of those was Takuma Sato, who worked with Jordan in 2002 during his first year in F1 and his inexperience showed with the occasional crash.

His partnership with Honda earned him a seat alongside Giancarlo Fisichella and he went on to start 90 Grand Prix during a seven-year career.

While he only troubled the podium once during his career, he was much more familiar with the barriers on race weekends.

Jordan enjoyed ‘miracle’ whenever Sato didn’t crash

Jordan’s co-host David Coulthard asked: “Is there an example of a driver from your Jordan days who was brilliantly fast but was a bit wayward when it came to wheel-to-wheel action and the crash damage was quite high for you?”

Jordan replied: “Well, he’s since gone on to win the Indianapolis 500 twice and that’s Takuma Sato.

“I mean, if the car came back with four wheels on it at any given session it was a miracle.

“He was quick but he never knew why. We didn’t know why either I have to tell you! Even talking about it, he’s the loveliest man on this planet but Jesus I’d never have him in one of my cars again, please!

“He crashed at every given moment but was such a nice person, you could never be angry with him, he was so apologetic and so kind and generous.”

It does feel like drivers crash less often nowadays compared to the days of Jordan and Sato in Formula 1.

His biggest shunt during his time with Jordan’s team came in Austria, where he had a huge shunt with Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld.

The German careened into the side of his car heading into the hairpin and it was a miracle neither driver wasn’t seriously hurt.

Sato collided with the likes of Michael Schumacher during his time in F1 too but it needs to be remembered that he was also a very capable driver.

While he only secured a single podium during his career in the USA in 2004, he’s gone on to have plenty of success outside of Formula 1.