Red Bull’s contribution to Perez’s F1 success highlighted by former driver

22:05, 11 Jan

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bySamson Ero

Juan Pablo Montoya has reflected on the positive influence Red Bull Racing had on Sergio Perez’s career.

“He can complain in the end because the car was unmanageable, but they gave him many very good things.”

- Juan Pablo Montoya

Speaking on the AS Colombia podcast, Montoya weighed in on Perez’s own comments about his time at the Milton Keynes-based team, pointing out the opportunities Red Bull provided.

“Checo has six wins, five of those six wins came with Red Bull. If you look at it as a Mexican Checo fan, you’re going to say, ‘Red Bull was very unfair,’” Montoya said via the AS Colombia podcast.

“As Checo says, he knew what he was getting into. Unfair or not, Red Bull gave him five wins. He can complain in the end because the car was unmanageable, but they gave him many very good things,” he added.

sergio-perez-returns-formula-1-red-bull-cadillac

Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing. Picture: Red Bull Content Pool

Montoya also suggested that being a second driver at Red Bull offered Perez more advantages than taking a lead role at teams like Alpine or Haas.

“Are you going to do that [play second fiddle to Verstappen], or are you going to go to Alpine? You’d rather be number two at Red Bull or McLaren than number one at Alpine in 2025, or Haas,” he said.

“Obviously, people are going to complain. But if you look at it from the outside, Red Bull have really given Checo a big status,” Montoya concluded.

Perez’s stint at Red Bull was a mix of highs and lows. While the 35-year-old enjoyed notable performances, including five race victories, he also faced challenging periods, particularly during the final stretch of the 2024 season leading up to his departure.

Perez sets sights on retiring at Cadillac

Earlier, Perez admitted he would like to draw the curtain on his F1 career with the Cadillac outfit.

The Mexican, who is set to represent F1’s newest team for the 2026 season, detailed how he would love to retire at the team, leaving it in a better position compared to where the project began.

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