Adrian Newey accused of giving "middle finger" to Red Bull F1 “family”

Former F1 driver David Coulthard has accused Adrian Newey of showing the “middle finger” to Red Bull following his high-profile Aston Martin announcement.

Earlier this month, Newey was unveiled as Aston Martin’s new technical partner, heading the Silverstone-based outfit’s design team from 2025.

Newey was formally announced in a flashy press conference alongside team owner Lawrence Stroll, and drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

The 65-year-old will continue to work on the Red Bull hypercar - the RB17 - before joining Aston Martin in March 2025.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was somewhat irked by the unveiling, stating Aston Martin celebrated Newey’s arrival “slightly prematurely”.

Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, Coulthard feels it wasn’t a good look on Newey’s part to be parading around the Aston Martin factory, citing an example from his own F1 career.

“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,” he said. 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 all 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.”

Coulthard was also vocal in his concerns about Lewis Hamilton, claiming he's "mentally" already at Ferrari.

Coulthard feels that one person can’t “give 100 per cent” to things, referencing Newey’s commitments to Red Bull.

“Adrian’s a friend. And therefore, when you speak about friends publicly, they may not like it, but there’s my truth,” Coulthard added. “I’ve told you my truth and I didn’t like being in McLaren when I was still under contract at Williams. I expect Carlos will sit with James Vowles and, before the end of the year, he will be downloading, because how can you not?

“I made the comment earlier in the year that Lewis mentally is at Ferrari and, of course, some people who think I’m negative on Lewis would go: ‘You never won anything, what are you talking about?’ It’s irrelevant what I’ve won or not won, but what is relevant is to know what it’s like to be one foot in your next relationship when you’re still in a relationship.

“And that doesn’t matter whether you’re in business or whether it’s a relationship in the purest term, people that have affairs and all the rest of it. You can’t give 100 per cent to two things. You’re going to give 100 per cent to one thing.”

Eddie Jordan’s defence

Eddie Jordan - Newey’s manager - launched a staunch defence of F1’s greatest designer in response to Coulthard.

“I’m going to defend him,” he replied. “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 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.”

Jordan countered Coulthard’s point, making it clear that Newey has “unbelievable” respect for Red Bull still.

“I can promise you that I don’t know anybody who breached that, so the best of care was made to respect it,” he concluded. “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 Dietrich Mateschitz. It was conducted in the most unbelievably correct way. It is possibly the finest thing that I’ve ever done.”