Eddie Jordan Jumps To Adrian Newey's Defense After 'Middle Finger' Remark By Red Bull Driver

Saajan Jogia | Sep 20, 2024

Adrian Newey - Aston Martin / Aston Martin Press Release

Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard accused Adrian Newey of showing the "middle finger" to the Red Bull family by visiting rival team Aston Martin's facility in Silverstone in a grand press launch by Lawrence Stroll's outfit, while under contract with Red Bull. However, Newey's manager, Eddie Jordan, clarified that he was allowed to announce his fresh signing as per the contract and that he is currently on gardening leave.

The renowned aero guru's move to Aston Martin made headlines for days following the September 10 announcement, when the team held a press conference for the big revelation. Newey worked with Red Bull for 18 years before announcing his exit in May as the team's chief technical officer. He will join Aston in March 2025 as the team's managing technical partner and shareholder.

The 65-year-old has been responsible for creating a dominant title contender for Red Bull in the current ground effect era. However, it remains to be seen how the Milton Keynes outfit continues to compete in the premier class following his exit, as he takes the wealth of skill and knowledge to Aston Martin.

Coulthard is of the opinion that Newey's visit to a rival team's factory while still being a Red Bull team member was unprofessional and conflicting. Newey continues to be engaged in Red Bull's RB17 hypercar project and has continued to attend races, though he is no longer expected to be a regular presence at F1 events with the team.

The thirteen-time Grand Prix winner linked his example to Newey's Silverstone visit, citing how he had to leak crucial information about Renault's power unit on the Williams car to McLaren engineers while shifting teams, despite being under contract with Williams. He explained on the Formula for Success podcast:

“I have to be honest: I was in a situation when, when I was leaving Williams, I went to McLaren during 1995 season and sat down with the engineers towards the end of the season to give as much information as I could recall.

“I didn’t feel comfortable doing it, quite frankly, but I was asked to do it by Ron Dennis and I was young and it was where I was going to be for ’96.

“I remember sitting with Mario Ilien, who was behind the Mercedes engine, and he was asking about the Renault engine.

“It really did feel unprofessional – and there’s my admission.

“To see Adrian there with Aston, to be doing the press conference, to be walking around the factory when he’s still under contract with Red Bull – he’s still working there on the RB17, the road car, which looks exceptional – it just felt like a bit of a middle finger to the family that he’s now leaving.

“Adrian’s a friend. And therefore, when you speak about friends publicly, they may not like it, but there’s my truth."

However, Jordan jumped to Newey's defense because both scenarios are incomparable. While Coulthard was a driver, Newey is a team member currently on mandatory gardening leave. He highlighted how the designer fully respected all terms of the agreement and continues to hold Red Bull in high regard. Jordan expressed pride in Newey's smooth transition from Red Bull to Aston Martin, explaining:

“There’s a couple of things that I would like to say to that.

“First of all, I concur with what you’ve said. Yes, you felt uncomfortable [about visiting McLaren in 1995], but you still continued to do it.

“I’m going to defend him.

“First of all, I would say that the arranging of the Adrian Newey release from Red Bull was, for me – and I’m not a young guy anymore – was probably one of the greatest professional, cool things that I’ve ever done.

“And I say that because most things were covered. It was covered that we reached [an agreement].

“You did not hear a peep from me until September 6, and that was the date given by Red Bull as to when we could or couldn’t say anything.

“So I have nothing but admiration for Adrian, because he never said a peep until the date that we were allowed by Red Bull to make any comment.

“You were still driving for Williams. When you went to McLaren, you were still driving there.

“Adrian is not there. He’s on gardening leave. It’s a totally different thing, you’re mixing up drivers and team people.

“Adrian is on gardening leave. He has a date in his contract, which was stipulated by me and Red Bull and that was adhered to in every single way.

“I can promise you that I don’t know anybody who breached that, so the best of care was made to respect [it].

“Adrian was fastidious about this. The respect that he has for Red Bull is unbelievable and is insurmountable in many respects, because I think it’s just there.

“It’s in him, he talked about it being his family. And it is his family, and it’s your family, David, and, indirectly, probably is mine as well through the 20 years I’ve known Christian and 30 years that I knew [the late Red Bull founder] Dietrich Mateschitz.

“It was conducted in the most unbelievably correct way. It is possibly the finest thing that I’ve ever done.

“The reason I say that is because it was arranged and coordinated in such an elegant way that I feel very proud about [it].

“I feel very proud about Red Bull, I feel very proud about myself and my actions there and I feel incredibly proud about Adrian and how he managed that situation.”