Eddie Jordan has responded to speculations that his friend and now business associate, Adrian Newey, might have already committed to join Ferrari in 2025 after a brief 'gardening leave' from Formula 1.
In the public announcement that revealed Newey's upcoming departure as the chief technology officer at Red Bull, it was also disclosed that the former F1 team owner, Jordan, aged 76, has taken on the role of Newey's manager.
Given his position, Jordan would be aware if Newey, aged 65, has indeed inked a deal with Ferrari.
"It appears that Newey has already signed a contract with Ferrari," former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos remarked during a segment on Ziggo Sport. "I think he will continue in F1 as soon as he can."
Dutch journalist Jack Plooij added, "I believe it's a preliminary contract. Not yet the final contract, but a statement of intent."
Plooij also speculated that Jordan might have arranged a remarkably brief gardening leave for Newey in return for his silence regarding the Christian Horner scandal.
"Jordan must have used some preconditions against Horner," Plooij mentioned. "'If you do this, I'm going to say this'. Jordan operates right on the edge and sometimes way over it."
However, on his podcast, Formula For Success, co-hosted with former F1 driver David Coulthard, Jordan strongly refuted that Newey has finalized a move to Ferrari.
"It's really very wrong to be so blatant about (Newey) joining a certain team," he asserted. "I'm speaking as someone who should know, and I'm not giving any information away."
"But I can give my absolute life on that," Jordan continued emphatically. "There is no inclination to go in any particular way at the moment."
"We are looking at the opportunities and we are letting people come to talk to us. There will be talks, and there is going to be ongoing talks, because we have yet to decide what Adrian himself wants to do." body check tags ::
