Perez: Newey will have "immediate impact" at next F1 team
On Wednesday Red Bull announced Newey will leave the team in 2025 and he has been heavily linked with a move to Ferrari, while Aston Martin has also been seen as an option for the British designer.
While his next career move isn’t confirmed, Perez is certain wherever Newey moves to he will make a quick and positive input into multiple areas of any F1 team.
“Adrian, with the experience he has, he has contributed a lot to the Red Bull philosophy so I assume he will cause an immediate impact wherever he goes or whatever he does,” Perez said in the Miami Grand Prix pre-event press conference.
“He is a very clever guy and a very hard worker. Working with Adrian, he is much more than a designer, he can influence even strategies, set-up, he could have that influence on a race weekend.
“To have him around on race weekends was great. He is a very strong individual and wherever he goes he will cause an immediate impact. But it is a whole group of people that he will require to have around him as well.”
While disappointed to hear of Newey’s impending departure from Red Bull, the Mexican driver is confident the world champion squad has an organisation able to lose an engineering head of his calibre and remain a force at the front of F1.
“It is obviously not ideal, someone like Adrian [leaving], he has been tremendous to our team, to our organisation, and he is also a very good friend of mine from all the time we’ve spent together,” Perez explained.
“But, at the end of the day, there are times in life when you spend 20 years at Red Bull I think he probably wants to do something else and that is fair.
Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, on the grid
Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, on the grid
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz / Motorsport Images
“I think Red Bull is in a great place and it has a very strong organisation with Pierre [Wache – technical director], Enrico [Balbo – head of aerodynamics] and Ben [Waterhouse – head of performance engineering]. I think the whole aero group is very strong and I think we are looking forward to the future.
“You’ve seen in the past at these big teams, big names when they leave they will always exist, it isn’t down to one single individual. It is a whole organisation and I think Christian [Horner] has done a great job in preparing for the next generation of what is going to happen at Red Bull.”
The six-time grand prix winner is also convinced Newey’s departure won’t be followed by a wider walkout at Red Bull.
The futures of several key Red Bull management members have been in the spotlight this year, with Horner’s position as team principal under greatest scrutiny during the hearing into allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a colleague. The hearing concluded with Horner cleared of wrongdoing.
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Meanwhile, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said his position was under threat during the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, but he has remained in his post following talks with the team’s parent company boss Oliver Mintzlaff.
“I don’t think so,” Perez replied when asked if he was worried about more team members leaving Red Bull.
“I think everyone is fully committed to the team and we are having a tremendous season once again and the future looks bright at the team.
“I think it is normal that you have this sort of movement, losing some people, but I think the organisation remains really strong and I don’t see any more changes ahead in that regard.”