Perez: Newey understands like a racing driver

Sergio Perez has expressed his admiration for Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, saying: “It’s like talking to a racing driver.”

The Mexican will be working with revered designer Newey in 2021 after joining the Red Bull team as their replacement F1 driver for Alex Albon, who was dropped to a reserve role after a disappointing 2020 campaign.

As part of Perez’s initial tour of the Red Bull factory complex in Milton Keynes, he stopped off in Newey’s office where the 62-year-old still does much of his work with a pencil and paper rather than using the much more modern CAD system.

There was still some technology at hand for Newey, whose ability to converse on the same level as the drivers was something that resonated with Perez.

During a video produced by the Red Bull team of the 31-year-old’s factory tour, Perez said: “Very, very impressed to get that from Adrian and to see his big drawing machine there. I was very impressed.

“All the time you cross through his office he is drawing something. The amount of communication he has with the drivers, he understands what you’re talking about like a driver. It’s like talking to a racing driver.”

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Perez, who will partner Max Verstappen in the Red Bull line-up during the 2021 campaign, is now less a month away from driving the car on track for the first time in pre-season testing. The opening race takes place at the same Bahrain circuit a fortnight later

“I think I can bring a lot of experience and knowledge,” added Perez. “I’ve been in the sport in different teams, different areas.

“I know what I need from myself, also how I feel I can push the team forward in certain areas. There are already some good ideas we have been sharing with the team that hopefully we can bring some performance on track.

“It’s very different in a way that it’s a new team. There are so many things you have to learn and it just takes a bit of time. It’s building all the processes, putting that work into pre-season.

“We are in that time when nothing comes easy, you have to learn and work and get up to speed with the car. It’s the same for everyone.

“There are a lot of drivers changing teams so it will be nice to see who adapts fastest to their new team.”

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