Christian Horner was taken by surprise when he learned of Adrian Newey’s unexpected departure, according to Eddie Jordan. Newey, the brilliant aerodynamicist, left Red Bull during the ongoing 2024 season. He completed his duties on the RB17 Hypercar and will fully depart from the team in the early months of next year. This news caught the entire paddock off guard, especially Horner, who was not aware of it until then. Newey’s manager has now revealed Horner’s reaction upon finding out about the departure.
Horner had hidden his true surprise by stating that Red Bull was “aware” of Newey’s imminent departure from the team. However, according to Newey’s manager, Horner was extremely surprised to hear the news. Jordan claimed that Horner’s jaw dropped upon hearing this information.
In a lighthearted manner, Newey’s manager joked about the size of Horner’s jaw. He then recalled that Horner referred to the news as coming from a “silent assassin,” indicating how secretive it had been. With few rumors about Newey’s departure, the 76-year-old Jordan questioned the meaning of this term.
Horner, on the other hand, is determined to ensure that Red Bull maintains its dominant performance beyond 2026. Jordan described Horner as a seemingly ordinary person at first glance, but emphasized that there was something truly intelligent going on in his mind. According to Jordan, the 50-year-old man always made the right decisions and was a genius in his own right. Horner knew how to exploit the rules to the fullest and achieve the best results.
Although there were concerns about Red Bull’s performance after Newey’s departure, several other key team members will continue to contribute to its progress. Additionally, the team recently acquired several engineers from Mercedes, ensuring that Milton Keynes does not falter in terms of performance in the upcoming season.
