Sergio Perez, formerly a driver for Red Bull, stated that “significantly more problems arose” for the Formula 1 team following Adrian Newey`s departure from his chief technical officer role during the 2024 season.
Newey, renowned for designing cars that secured eight Drivers` Championships and six Constructors` Championships for Red Bull, left the team midway through last season. His departure reportedly stemmed from a deteriorating relationship with team principal Christian Horner.
Although Red Bull commenced the 2024 season displaying the same dominant form as their record-breaking 2023 campaign, their performance saw a decline after Newey stepped back from his position. They concluded the constructors` standings in third place, trailing McLaren and Ferrari, with Max Verstappen needing to demonstrate his exceptional talent to secure a fourth consecutive drivers` championship.
Perez also identified the exit of Jonathan Wheatley, Red Bull`s sporting director, in August 2024—who left to become team principal for Sauber/Audi—as another contributing factor to the team`s relative difficulties.
“We didn`t dominate in an era like Mercedes, which had an advantage with the engine,” commented Perez, who departed Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season. “Here, the lead was very small, and we possessed a superb team.”
When Adrian Newey left, I believe that`s when many more issues began.
Perez continued:
Then Jonathan Wheatley departed, and he was a vital member of the team.
Newey remained affiliated with Red Bull until early 2025 to finalize work on their hypercar project outside of F1. He has since taken on a role as managing technical partner at rival team Aston Martin. Aston Martin hopes the 66-year-old`s expertise will help them contend for titles under the sport`s significant rule changes coming next season.
Wheatley commenced his role at Sauber in early April and will oversee the team`s transformation into the Audi factory effort in the coming year.
Perez Suggests Red Bull Regrets Releasing Him
After joining Red Bull in 2021, Perez generally served effectively as a number two driver to Verstappen. However, his performance significantly deteriorated around the same period that Newey departed.
Following top-five finishes in the first six races of 2024, Perez remarkably failed to achieve this again in the subsequent 16 rounds of the season.
Despite a strong start that earned him a two-year contract extension, valid until the end of 2026, he was ultimately let go before the extension even commenced, as his form plummeted in the final weeks of his tenure.
The Mexican driver believes Red Bull did not do enough to shield him from speculation about his future.
Ultimately, that`s the nature of the sport. Decisions were made because there was excessive pressure, much of which they generated themselves.
Perez elaborated:
I had a signed contract in Monaco, yet from the following race onward, everyone was discussing my future, even though the contract was already signed. It would have been simple for the team to protect me by stating, `You know what? We have a driver contracted for the next two years.` But that wasn`t the approach. From then on, the focus was solely on Red Bull, race after race.
In the end, there was immense pressure on my side of the garage… this put significant pressure on the engineers, on everyone involved, and I believe it ultimately cost us dearly.
Perez`s successors as Verstappen`s teammate have not fared significantly better. Liam Lawson participated in only two races before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who has not managed a finish higher than ninth in his eight Grand Prix appearances for Red Bull.
Perez, whose name has been mentioned in connection with a potential return to F1 with Cadillac when the American brand joins the grid in 2026, indicated he has heard from reliable sources that Red Bull regrets their decision to release him.
I know that deep down they feel very sorry, I know that from a very good source. People might think I`m pleased about it, but no… we had a fantastic team, and unfortunately, it gradually disintegrated.
