Sergio Perez says he determined to return to Formulation 1 with the brand new Cadillac staff for 2026 with the intention to “take pleasure in” the game once more after the bruising expertise of his ultimate yr at Pink Bull.
The Mexican’s racing comeback for subsequent yr at F1’s new eleventh staff was confirmed on Tuesday with Perez signed up by the Normal Motors-backed entry in a extremely skilled maiden line-up with fellow 35-year-old Valtteri Bottas, who himself has been on the sidelines this yr.
Perez was dropped by Pink Bull on the finish of final season after a dismal run of kind of their second seat subsequent to Max Verstappen, simply months after signing a two-year contract extension.
However having had the time since out of the highlight to evaluate whether or not he wished to return to F1 for a fifteenth season, the six-time race winner says he got here to the conclusion he “missed” the game and that he nonetheless had “much more to present”.
Recent from Tuesday’s announcement, Perez joined the most recent version of The F1 Present to debate the explanations behind his return.
“I will be trustworthy, it wasn’t a simple choice as a result of I’ve had the privilege to have a unbelievable profession within the sport and, to be trustworthy, I felt like I’ve completed all of it within the sport,” mentioned Perez, who’s the eighth-most skilled driver in F1 historical past with 281 race begins.
“However the longer it went on and the extra I considered it, I clearly spoke with my household about it, and all of us felt like that is the proper factor for us as a household, as a undertaking, to get again to take pleasure in it.
“The final yr particularly was very arduous. It was very demanding and I did not take pleasure in it.
“I like the game and I wish to return to take pleasure in it. That is the primary driving issue behind coming again is to simply take pleasure in it and provides again a variety of like to the game that has given me every thing.”
Reducing a noticeably relaxed determine in his Sky Sports activities F1 interview after eight months away from racing, Perez added: “As you may think about, this yr has been quite a bit higher than the earlier yr, so I am positive I look a bit brisker in that regard!
“It was a variety of weight on my shoulders the final yr.
“I do not really feel like I’ve obtained something to show as a result of you recognize what has occurred in my earlier staff has proven already what had been the struggles that I had.”
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Cadillac’s govt engineering marketing consultant Pat Symonds has his say on Sergio Perez’s time at Pink Bull.
‘Now you realise the job I’ve completed in that automotive and that staff’ – Perez on Pink Bull replacements’ struggles
The conclusion to Perez’s initially-promising four-year Pink Bull profession finally performed out over a turbulent 18 months amid struggles to get on with their automotive.
A primary alarming hunch in kind mid-way by means of Pink Bull’s absolutely-dominant 2023 marketing campaign was adopted by a extra pricey one when the pack closed up in 2024.
He ended a yr during which team-mate Verstappen received his fourth successive drivers’ title by scoring simply 9 factors throughout the ultimate eight Grand Prix weekends and registering no podiums in his ultimate 19 makes an attempt.
After shedding the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren, Pink Bull administration determined that they had seen sufficient and pursued a change – however the struggles of their second driver have solely continued into 2025.
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A glance again at a few of Sergio Perez’s struggles throughout his ultimate season at Pink Bull in 2024
Preliminary alternative Liam Lawson lasted simply two point-less races within the seat earlier than he was demoted again to sister staff Racing Bulls, whereas his alternative Yuki Tsunoda has scored simply seven factors in 12 races – and none since Could.
Requested why he thought the Pink Bull’s second driver struggled a lot, Perez mentioned: “I feel it is simply the entire dynamics of the staff.
“Every little thing is pushed… clearly they’ve a singular expertise over there with Max and every thing and whenever you get there, the event curve they’ve, it’s extremely tough for the second driver that’s there to mainly adapt to the automotive.
“It is a very distinctive automotive, very distinctive driving model that I managed to outlive for a few years however it’s tough and it is the best way it really works, and you have seen it with nice drivers earlier than my time and even after my time.
“I feel Yuki and Liam, they’ve scored like 5 [sic. seven] factors or one thing like that.
“So it is rather, very tough, very tough they usually’re unbelievable drivers, you recognize, however it’s simply the best way it’s to drive it.
Perez, who received 5 races in 2021-2023, added: “It is only a very distinctive driving model. Generally I might address it, I might adapt to it, however as quickly as there was a variable with the rain, with the wind or one thing, it simply grew to become undrivable and you then begin making errors one after the opposite.
“You might be shedding confidence, however mentally I used to be tremendous sturdy and that is why I survived there for thus lengthy as a result of I had a variety of stress and a variety of you guys had been on to me and now you realise the job I’ve completed in that automotive and that staff.”
What attracted Perez to Cadillac?
Perez revealed he had been in talks with Cadillac chiefs a couple of 2026 drive since final December, as soon as it had turn out to be clear he could be leaving Pink Bull.
He says that the undertaking “excites me as a result of it is ranging from zero and I can put all my years of expertise into the staff”.
Having beforehand pushed for Sauber, McLaren and Pressure India/Racing Level earlier than becoming a member of Pink Bull in 2021, Cadillac would be the first brand-new Formulation 1 staff that Perez has pushed for – though he says the extent of expertise they’ve managed to recruit makes it really feel extra like a longtime outfit.
Outlining the attractiveness of the staff, Perez mentioned: “The ambitions that there’s behind it with [chief executive] Dan Towriss, the TWG undertaking behind it, the dedication they’re having.
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Sky Sports activities’ Craig Slater updates on Cadillac’s announcement that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have been signed as their drivers for debut marketing campaign in 2026.
“It isn’t only a new staff, it is a staff that’s coming full in and you’ll see with the drivers. They’ve gone for lots of expertise, they’ve completed the identical with a variety of the engineering staff, a variety of the group.
“It is a new staff, however it’s a staff that has a variety of expertise in Formulation 1, those that have completed all of it within the sport, and that is one thing nice to have.”
Formulation 1 returns after the summer season break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 29-31, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
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