Adrian Newey expressed his gratitude towards Eddie Jordan, whom he referred to as his “close friend and manager,” while informing about his departure from Red Bull.
Eddie Jordan revealed that he was called a “silent assassin” in the exit negotiations for Adrian Newey, when it was revealed he was his manager.
In the announcement of his departure from the team in early 2025, the previous team principal was referred to as Newey’s “close friend and manager.” Jordan, who played a role in negotiating Red Bull’s design chief’s release from his contract, which was originally set to expire at the end of the following year.
Eddie Jordan becomes ‘silent assassin’ in Adrian Newey talks
During his appearance on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan found himself in a challenging situation as he was questioned about his current responsibilities as Newey’s manager, given that the news of his departure has become widely known.
This also came as news to the top of the Red Bull hierarchy at the time, as well as co-anchor David Coulthard, who has known Jordan well from their time in the paddock together, and the former team boss joked that his mouth dropped at hearing the news.
Jordan recounted Coulthard’s reaction upon discovering something. Coulthard’s jaw dropped significantly due to its already large size. Jordan revealed that Coulthard referred to him as a “fucking silent assassin,” using the name “EJ.”
I’m not familiar with the term “silent assassin,” DC. Would you mind enlightening us on its meaning?
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Coulthard, the co-host, 13-time Grand Prix winner, and former Red Bull driver, responded by saying, “It’s better to be a silent assassin than to have people hear you approaching.”
It was a complete surprise to everyone. Your role as Adrian’s manager was completely unknown.
Horner expresses confidence in Red Bull’s ability to thrive without Newey, following the departure of the longstanding design leader in Miami.
He said, “I’ve had extensive discussions with Adrian regarding that matter, and Adrian’s stance is quite evident.”
“Our relationship has been and continues to be exceptional. Not only are we friends, but also colleagues, and he has made immense contributions to our team.”
Although we’ll be saddened by his departure, he has left the team in excellent condition. We have a remarkable group of individuals with immense talent and ability that will propel us into the future.
After the announcement of his departure, Newey has already distanced himself from the design team at Red Bull. He is currently focused on wrapping up the RB17 hypercar project at the company before his official departure in early 2025.
Read next: Martin Brundle: Adrian Newey the most important F1 figure over any driver
