Webber enjoyed a successful career behind the wheel spanning nearly two decades, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship on top of nine grands prix.
However, his career almost came to an abrupt end before it going when Mercedes pulled out of endurance racing at the end of 1999.
Webber had twice flipped the Mercedes CLK at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and, with the manufacturer ending its program, found himself without a drive.
“I was out of a drive in ’99, and I had nothing. I had nothing,” Webber told former Red Bull teammate David Coulthard on the final episode of the Formula For Success podcast, which had featured Jordan.
“The sports car situation with Mercedes was I was paid 50,000 German Deutschmarks (around AUD $40,000) a year or whatever when I was driving for them. And we had a lot of issues in Le Mans that year.
“Unemployed. Unwanted.”
Unwilling to give up on his dream, Webber reached out to Jordan.
The Irishman was by then an established figure in the F1 paddock and his team race winners – Heinz-Harald Frentzen was an outside chance for the 1999 drivers’ championship for much of the season.
Jordan had a track record of promoting young drivers into F1, having helped the likes of Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello, and Ralf Schumacher.
“I was just ringing Gisele, Eddie’s PA at the time,” Webber admitted.
“Giselle was an awesome rottweiler PA, not putting me through, and I just couldn’t get through.
“I said, ‘Stuff this, I’m going to follow EJ from the factory. I’m going to follow him in his car.’ And I followed him to a petrol station.
“I just said, ‘Eddie, I’d just love a chance, even just a straight-line test, I just want a chance to do something with you guys, if I can’.
“I think that he saw that hunger and desire – not the most skilful in the world, but he saw I was prepared to have a crack.
“I didn’t have a pot to piss in, but he introduced me to Paul Stoddart.
“He did that, ‘Oh, I think you need to meet Paul.’ He took me over to Silverstone a week later, hooked up with Stoddie, and then the rest is history, you know?”
Webber was ultimately given his shot in F1 by Stoddart, who then owned Minardi, for the 2002 season.
The initial deal was for only the opening few races of the year, but a sensational fifth place at the Australian Grand Prix saw the Australian retain his drive.
From there, he moved to Williams, Jaguar and Red Bull, chalking up nine race wins from 217 events.
“So he gave me a path out. Eddie gave me a path out of that,” Webber said.
“It was a hopeless situation, hopeless. And he gave me a little light at the end of the tunnel.
“I told him several times – Ann and I were forever grateful for that because he gave us a chance.”
Following Webber’s racing career, he worked alongside Jordan as part of Channel 4’s F1 broadcast.
Jordan died in Cape Town on March 20 at the age of 76.
His family has since farewelled the motorsport icon in a private ceremony.
