25/06/2025 09:15
Sergio Perez has claimed Red Bull feel "regret" over the decision
to drop him from its F1 team. Perez endured a difficult 2024
campaign with the Milton Keynes-based squad as he struggled to
extract pace from the car, resulting in his exit at the end of the
campaign. The Mexican was replaced by Liam Lawson, who lasted just
two rounds behind the wheel before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.
The duo have experienced similar struggles to Perez, often leaving
Red Bull fighting one-handed with Max Verstappen towards the front
of the field. With Perez now looking on from the sidelines, the
35-year-old has claimed the Milton Keynes-based squad is ruing the
decisions it made over its driver line-up. "No," Perez told Dede el
Paddock when asked if he thinks he's owed an apology from Red Bull.
"I mean, at the end of the day, that's how the sport is. "They made
certain decisions because of the immense pressure—pressure that
they themselves helped create. "But I know, deep down, they regret
it. And I know that from a very reliable source. "Still, what can
you do? You move on. It's tough. I have very good friends there,
and people might think I take pleasure in what happened - but no."
Red Bull issues began 'when Adrian Newey left' - Sergio Perez
Verstappen claimed his fourth F1 title last year despite Red Bull
taking a hit in the pecking order. Perez heaped praise on the
four-time champion after spending four seasons alongside the
Dutchman at Red Bull. "The truth is, Max deserves all the success
he's having," Perez said. "He's an incredible driver, and very few
people understand the way he works - he's exceptional." Perez was
not the only significant exit from Red Bull last year as early on
in the campaign, Adrian Newey stepped away from his involvement
with the F1 car before signing with Aston Martin. Perez has
suggested the exit of the renowned car designer was the catalyst
for things going downhill at Red Bull. "We had a great team. In the
end, it slowly fell apart, but we really did have something
special, during one of the most competitive eras in F1," he added.
"We didn't dominate an era like Mercedes, where they had a massive
engine advantage. In our case, the performance gap was minimal, and
we still built a powerhouse. "When Adrian left - that's when the
problems really started."
