Gunther Steiner revives Sergio Perez: “Cadillac should go for him”. Gunther Steiner feels Cadillac should rely on Sergio Perez as its lead F1 driver.

Checo on the sidelines
The 2025 season, which is about to begin, will not see Sergio Perez on the starting grid. For the first time since 2011, Checo will have to watch the races from his couch after being dropped by Red Bull following a disastrous season in which he finished eighth in the Drivers’ standings, 285 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen, who claimed his fourth consecutive world title.

According to Gunther Steiner, former Haas team principal and now a TV analyst, the Mexican could find a seat next year by taking advantage of the arrival of an eleventh team on the grid: Cadillac. In an interview with *GPblog*, the South Tyrolean manager suggested that the experienced driver from Guadalajara would be the perfect choice to provide the new American team with the experience it needs.

An option for Cadillac
“If you’re Cadillac, you need someone with experience. Checo has been with several teams for a long time. He knows how to navigate the sport. He could be a great help,” Steiner pointed out. “They could offer him a one-year contract. That would be much better than having rookie veterans. It’s an opportunity for Checo.”

The reference to a ‘rookie veteran’ is aimed at the possibility of signing Colton Herta, a talented American driver considered one of Cadillac’s main options for 2026. If that were the case, the Californian would be making his F1 debut at the age of 26.

A matter of pressure
The Cadillac environment and the team’s modest ambitions could bring out the best in Perez, according to Gunther Steiner. “We have to be realistic,” he explained. “Fighting for a point because the car can’t do any better is one thing, but fighting for a point when your teammate in the same car is winning races puts you in a completely different mindset—it’s a different kind of pressure.”

“Checo was very good when he was at Force India/Racing Point. He always performed well as an underdog, but he couldn’t handle the pressure of a top team. Maybe that’s his comfort zone—where there isn’t the expectation to prove you’re great by winning, but just the goal of scoring points. Maybe that puts him in a better position,” Gunther Steiner concluded.