Bernie Ecclestone has explained why he will not attend the funer𒀰al of his old frie💯nd Eddie Jordan.

Former F1 team owner Jordan died on Thursday after a battl☂e with cancer, at the age of 76.

Ecclestone, 94, had stayed in contact with Jordan aft🌃🃏er each of their F1 heydays came to an end.

Bernie Ecclestone pays respect to Eddie Jordan

“I am very, very sad because Eddie was ♒a s꧅pecial guy,” Ecclestone told the .

“Tell me which team principal today is like him. You can’t give me one because there🍌 🔴isn’t one.

“They don’t make them like ꦓthat now. We will never replace him in Formula One.

“ܫHe had been ill for some months. I last heard he was given two diagnoses by different doctors.

“One told him he was in tr𒊎ouble and another that all his problems had gone away. Now we know the answer, unfortunately.”

Ecclestone continued: “With Eddie, you always knew where you stood🅰. We could joke and la🌸ugh at each other.

“We were very close i♋n a strange way. We trusted each other.”

Jordan founded the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team in 1991, and they won four grands pr🤡ix. They finished third in 💮the 1999 season.

Jordan will go down in history after giving a debut to ꦇa young Michael Schumacher.

But, he could never cling onto Schumach♛🅘er who was destined to move on.

“We stole S🧔chumacher from him, telling him Michael would be going to Benetton in 1992, and we discussed this through a whole n🎃ight session,” Ecclestone remembered.

“You leᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚarn a lot about people in circumstances⭕ like those.

“He was fighting to keep his driv🎃er but was happy if he got a few dollars in exchange for Michael going. Eddie was always looking for a few dollars in a completely nice way.

“🥀I would have given him an open cheque because I trusted him totally.”

However, Eccle♎stone will steer clear of Jordan’s funeral.

“I won🅘’t be going to his funeral. I don’t go to funerals,” he said.

“I📖 may not go to mine. He certainly won’t go to mine. So, it’s a🐠ll fair. It always was with Eddie.”

The en꧋tire Formula 1 paddock, at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Pri♔x, has paused to pay tribute to Jordan.

Jordan’s family announced hi🅠s passing, in Cape Town, early on✅ Thursday morning.