Six time Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez opens up ahead of his return to Formula 1 with Cadillac for the 2026 season.
Following today’s announcement of Cadillac’s 2026 F1 driver lineup, a returning Sergio Perez discusses his decision to join the new team. Set to partner Valtteri Bottas, also enduring a year out, Perez reflected on his history in the sport.
Speaking with Racer.com and other media outlets, Perez reflected on his most recent position with Red Bull Racing. Having struggled to match his then teammate Max Verstappen, Perez was regularly criticised in the media. Since his exit however, no driver has managed to match his performances against Verstappen.
Speaking on the matter, he cites the struggles of Lawson and Tsunoda as proof of the difficult environment with Red Bull.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything to prove, not just because of the current drivers or the next drivers that were in my seat, but even before that,” Perez said. “Now everyone forgets about it, but it’s been a very tricky place to be in, to constantly be adapting, to build confidence mentally.
“It’s a very unique challenge. And I don’t think I have anything to prove, when you see like the amount of points that they’ve scored, it’s like five points in the entire season. So I don’t think I’ve got anything to prove in that regard.
“To me, it’s more… coming back to enjoy the sport. I want to enjoy the sport, the sport that I love, the sport that has given me so much. I couldn’t afford to leave the way I left the sport, and this is why I’m coming back with this new project. I hope it’s a very successful one, but amongst that, more than anything, I want to enjoy this comeback.”
While Perez has spent the 2024 season thus far away from Formula 1, the Mexican driver admitted he needed the time away. He explained that his hiatus from the sport allowed him to evaluate his next move within motorsport.
Discussing Cadillac, Perez admitted the challenge of working with a brand new team to the Formula 1 grid proved enticing.
“For me, it was very important to have this time off of the sport,” he explained. “Especially because it only became clear towards the end of the year that I was not going to continue with Red Bull. So instead of jumping into something just for staying on the grid, I needed that time. That time back to disconnect myself from the sport a bit and to understand what I really want next in my career.
“It wasn’t very clear for me in the beginning, especially the first couple of months, what I wanted to do next. And the more I was talking to the Cadillac team, the more it became apparent that this is what excites me to come back, it’s the project itself.
“It’s not just going back to the grid with a regular team to fight for podiums and races and points. This is a whole project. The dynamic, I feel, is different.”
An ever present question when a driver returns to Formula 1 following time off is whether they can remain race fit. Giving the incredibly demanding nature of the sport, it proves difficult for many drivers. Perez however, feels his time off allowed him to enjoy training and remain race fit, despite not racing throughout 2024.
“I realized that I enjoy training! I always thought I hated it,” Perez noted. “But this time that I had off, it made me realize that I really enjoy training. So I’ve been in the same fit [shape]. Obviously, I haven’t driven anything for a while other than karting with my son. But there are some plans with the team to test a Formula 1 car before the end of the year.
“Obviously next year with so much testing that we’re going to have, it’s going to make that dust go away extremely quickly. I know what Formula 1 is about, and I will be ready to deliver from the first race onwards.”
