After Lewis Hamilton announcing his Ferrari deal, Adrian Newey exiting Red Bull came as the biggest news of 2024. In the aftermath of the disclosure, another major piece of information surfaced. That was of Eddie Jordan being Newey’s manager and the mastermind behind the move. Christian Horner was far from satisfied on the negotiation table and called the Irishman a ‘silent assassin’.
Recalling the moment in a recent episode of his Formula For Success podcast, Jordan said, “Christian, do you know what he called me? Do you know what he called me when he found this? First of all, his jaw was somewhere around near the end of his trousers. You know, it’s quite a big jaw in the first place, but he called me: ‘Ah, EJ, you’re a f***ing silent assassin’.”
Eddie Jordan disclosed that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner referred to him as a “silent assassin” during the negotiations for Adrian Newey’s exit from the team. Newey, Red Bull’s design chief, was described as Jordan’s “close friend and manager” in the announcement of… pic.twitter.com/8G4URzfxtc
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) May 16, 2024
Losing a stalwart like Adrian Newey would have certainly been difficult for Christian Horner. The 65-year-old has influenced every championship-winning car Red Bull has ever produced. Had it not been for his prior experience with F1’s original ground effect era, the Austrian team perhaps wouldn’t be dominating the championship the way they have.
The aero-genius’ exit also opens the possibility of the start of an exodus. There is an ongoing power struggle at Red Bull, characters of which haven’t remained hidden from the public eye. Helmut Marko is reported to be disgruntled with Horner’s conduct and the possibility of his departure remains. If that happens, there are no guarantees that Max Verstappen would stay either.
As far as Adrian Newey and his future goes, the Briton looks firm on continuing his run in F1. The revelation came earlier today when ESPN reported that the 25-time world champion was open to joining another team. That would only be possible in 2025, though.
Adrian Newey changes tone on future plans
The build-up to the Miami GP was eclipsed by the news of Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull in 2025. Fans and experts were eager to know what his next destination was. Surprisingly, during the race weekend, Newey cleared he was in no mood to look for a new team. All he wanted was to take a break from F1.
The comment came as a disappointment to the fans of rival teams who were anticipating his arrival to their team. Those hopes have revived as Newey changed the track to reveal his willingness to join another team once his gardening leave ends in the first quarter of 2025.
Adrian Newey has said for the first time that he expects to stay in F1 after he leaves Red Bull next year pic.twitter.com/mzmlQPRwFx
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 16, 2024
The strongest of suitors as per reports are Ferrari and Aston Martin. While the Maranello outfit is said to have already held meetings with Adrian Newey, the Silverstone side’s Lawrence Stroll wants him ‘at any cost’. Given his long-standing wish to work with the red team, Ferrari might just land the aero-god.
