Sergio Perez doubts Adrian Newey departure will result in Red Bull mass exodus

Sergio Perez is confident that Adrian Newey’s surprise departure from Red Bull won’t result in a mass exodus.

Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull announced that Newey will leave the team in 2025.

It means Red Bull will lose arguably the greatest F1 designer in history, instrumental to their title success with Sebastian Vettel in the early 2010s and Max Verstappen now.

Newey’s exit has led to even more intense speculation about Max Verstappen’s future and whether the Dutchman will now decide to leave the team for Mercedes.

Speaking in the FIA press conference in Miami, Perez downplayed the impact Newey leaving will have.

“I don’t think so. Everyone is fully committed to the team,” he said. “We’re having a tremendous season once again.

“The future looks bright in the team. I think it’s normal that you have this sort of movement within some people but I think the organisation remains really strong. I don’t see any more changes in that regard.”

Perez remains adamant that Red Bull is in a great position to cope without Newey, crediting team boss Christian Horner for “preparing for the next generation”.

“It’s obviously I would say not ideal,” he added. “Someone like Adrian has been tremendous for our team, for our organisation. He’s a very good friend of mine as well in this time we’ve spent together.

“At the end of the day there are times in life… he’s spent 20 years at Red Bull. He probably wants to do something else and it’s fair. Red Bull, it’s in a great place, it’s a very strong organisation with Pierre [Wache], with Rico [Balbo], with Ben [Waterhouse], the whole aero group. It’s very strong. We’re just looking forward to the future.

“You’ve seen in the past with these big teams, with big names, if they leave, they will always succeed. It’s not down to one single individual, it’s the whole organisation. Christian has done a great job in preparing for the next generation of what’s going to happen to Red Bull.”

“Immediate impact”

Newey has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari for 2025.

The Scuderia are reportedly the favourites to sign him should the 65-year-old decide not to retire.

Perez is sure that Newey will have an “immediate impact” wherever he lands.

“Definitely. Adrian, with the experience he has, he’s contributed a lot to the Red Bull philosophy,” he explained.

“I assume he will cause an immediate impact wherever he goes, whatever he does. He’s a very clever guy, hard worker. With Adrian, working with him, it’s much more than a designer. He can influence even strategies, setup and he could have that influence on a race weekend.

“To have him around, race weekends was great. He’s a very strong individual that wherever he goes he will cause an immediate impact. It’s a whole group of people that will require to have around him as well.”