Sergio Perez: Red Bull said they regret sacking me
Sergio Perez says a 'reliable source' at Red Bull has told him that the team regret sacking him, adding that their decline in competitiveness 'really started when Adrian Newey left'.
Perez has largely kept his counsel since Red Bull decided to terminate the two-year contract extension he signed last year, which was set to run until 2026.
But speaking with three-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Memo Rojas Jr on the Desde El Paddock podcast, the 35-year-old Mexican has made a number of punchy claims.
In particular, Perez said the team did not do enough to protect him last season, particularly after he signed his contract extension in Monaco last May.
'I had a signed contract in Monaco, but from the next race onwards, everyone was talking about my future even though I already had a signed contract,' Perez said.
'It would have been easy for the team to protect me and say, 'You know what? We have a driver signed for the next two years'. But that wasn't the case. From then on, no one talked about anything other than Red Bull race after race.
'I think they [Red Bull] understand a lot about how the press works in Formula 1, how it is controlled. This one, you haven't seen any commentary, nothing, nothing, nothing is spoken and I think that was something important.
He later added: 'Red Bull are a team who pushes you to the maximum. Then I have to endure all the media pressure. I think in recent years, very few drivers have had that pressure. Nobody had the same number of eyes on them. I mean, I'd have a bad race and it was something incredible.
'The hardest part of being a Formula 1 driver? The press.'
'A very reliable source'
Perez's claims that other drivers have not faced the same scrutiny as him may raise eyebrows. New Zealander Liam Lawson, who was initially promoted to Red Bull's second race seat for this season, alongside Max Verstappen, lasted just two races before he was dropped due to fears the pressure was taking a mental toll.
Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda switched places with Lawson but the Japanese has found the going similarly tough, managing just seven points in eight races.
Perez – who has been linked with a seat at the new Cadillac team for next season – says he is not rejoicing in their struggles.
Asked whether he believed he warranted an apology from Red Bull, Perez replied: 'No. 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.'
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