Perez on Newey: Red Bull success 'not down to one single individual'

Sergio Perez has said it is "not ideal" Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull, but he does not believe the team's success is down to "one single individual."

It was confirmed on Wednesday that Newey would leave the Milton-Keynes squad in early 2025, after 19 years, where he is the now out-going chief technical officier.

The 65-year-old has won F1 championships with Williams and McLaren, as well as his current team. Since joining Red Bull in 2006, he has helped steer the team to six constructors' titles, the two most recent, in 2022 and 2023, Perez has been there for.

"I will say, [it's] not ideal," Perez told media including RacingNews365 ahead of the Miami Grand Prix when asked about the high-profile departure.

"Someone like Adrian [Newey] has been tremendous to our team, to our organisation. And he's a very good friend of mine as well, in this time that we spent together. But at the end of the day, there are times in life - I think he's spent like 20 years at Red Bull. I think he probably wants to do something else, and it's fair."

'Red Bull is in a great place'

Whilst Newey will be stepping away from the development of Red Bull's F1 car, the RB20, immediately, he will leave a lasting legacy on the team. However, he will not have influence over its progress with the all-new regulations set to be introduced to F1 in 2026.

The man often considered as the greatest designer and engineer in the history of F1 will focus on the Red Bull RB17 hypercar project until July and will attend select races to support the team trackside for the remainder of 2024.

"I think Red Bull is in a great place, has a very good very strong organisation with Pierre [Wache], with a Rico [Balbo], with Ben [Waterhouse]," Perez contended.

"I think the the whole aero[dynamics] group is very strong and we're looking forward to the future. I think you have seen in the past with these big teams, big names, when they leave, they will always succeed. You know, it doesn't matter.

"It's not down to one single individual. It's a whole organisation, and I think Christian has done a great job in sort of preparing for the next generation of what's gonna happen to Red Bull."