Eddie Jordan defends the interests of Adrian Newey, and he explained in the podcast that he shares with David Coulthard the reasons which may have attracted the British engineer to join Aston Martin F1 as technical manager and shareholder. The first is the Honda engine that the team will use after 2026, and which Newey knows well.
“I think the fact that Honda is a partner from 2026 will be important for Adrian, because he thinks it is crucial to have a strategic manufacturer aligned” Jordan explained on the Formula For Success podcast.
“There is the presence of Andy Cowell, who we know, and who is a brilliant man. And he was the man behind all these successes at Mercedes, a genius, and it did not go unnoticed that he was now in the fold of the company, with Honda, Adrian and the people he will bring together, I have no doubt that it is a good thing.
“The other teams are going to have to get up off their back legs and tackle the problem. Do I think they can win a world championship? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. There are all sorts of things about people, about drivers, but do I think people will be attracted to Aston Martin because Adrian Newey is there without a doubt?
“From that point of view, strategically, when I hear that Lawrence [Stroll] said ‘cheap’ and words like that, I don’t think he was putting Adrian down. I think what he’s done is say he has this vision, and it’s a passionate vision that Adrian plays a major role in.”
“And it’s not just the pencil drawing on the line, it’s Adrian Newey in another capacity. So he’s a shareholder. The actions and the position he has within the team is enormous, and it opens up new perspectives, I mean it’s a moment of joy for everyone.”
Jordan explains that the negotiations with Lawrence Stroll, the owner of Aston Martin, took place naturally and professionally, which also reassured the Briton: “There were no arguments, there was clarity, there was a desire to perform on both sides.”
“That’s all I can say. When it was announced in Monaco last year that Adrian might be looking for another team, I was having dinner and I got a call from Lawrence Stroll, who asked me if I could meet him on Thursday.”
“I attended his meeting with his financier, his accountant and his lawyer, and what they presented to me was nothing short of a Bank of England acquisition or something like that.”
“It was so clinical, so clear, so professional. These people know how to do it, and that’s what I’m telling you: The fact that he’s an entrepreneur has huge ramifications, positive ramifications.”
