Sergio Perez and Red Bull agreed to part ways following the Mexican’s difficult 2024 season. Perez finished eighth in the standings and 285 points behind teammate Max Verstappen. With Red Bull finishing third in the constructors’ championship, the team decided it was time for a change in their driver lineup.
Checo had started the season well, scoring four podiums in the opening five races. However, from the Imola GP onwards, Perez’s form dipped, and he couldn’t recover. However, the 35-year-old has pinpointed the defining moment when it went downhill for him.
Red Bull designer leaving was the catalyst for Sergio Perez’s problems
Sergio Perez believes that the design legend Adrian Newey’s departure from the team was the defining factor which saw Red Bull begin to decline. Newey announced he was leaving the team he had worked at for the past 19 years in May last year. He began winding down work on the F1 team, working on the hypercar instead. And Perez believes this is when Red Bull began to struggle.
Speaking to Desde el Paddock, Perez said: “[Red Bull] slowly fell apart. When Adrian [Newey] left, that’s when the problems really started.”
From the Miami GP, Red Bull was no longer the fastest car. This coincided with the news of Newey’s departure. Max Verstappen was dominating the championship up until that point. However, despite wins in Imola and Barcelona, it was clear the Red Bull advantage had gone.
Red Bull struggled as McLaren surged ahead with the fastest car. Red Bull couldn’t find the upgrades to rectify their issues as they dropped down the constructors’ championship. Verstappen went on a ten-race winless run while Perez was struggling to score points. Without the mind of Newey, Red Bull wasn’t the fastest car.
Sergio Perez says Red Bull regrets dropping him
Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Perez for the 2025 season. However, the Kiwi was dropped after only two races. Yuki Tsunoda has been more competitive but has struggled to acclimatise to the RB21, and results haven’t been good enough. Perez claims that Red Bull has regretted letting the Mexican go.
He said: “I know, deep down, they regret it. And I know that from a very reliable source. Still, what can you do? You move on.”
Could Cadillac Be Sergio Perez’s Next Destination After Red Bull?
Tsunoda and Lawson have scored seven points between them for Red Bull, which is costing the Milton Keynes-based team in the championship. Perez was not scoring well enough for a front-running team, but with his experience, he could have tamed the RB21 better than his replacements. Was Red Bull right to let him go? Leave your comments below.
