In recent days, Sergio Perez has returned to the track in a Formula 1 car during the Cadillac tests held at Imola in collaboration with Ferrari. In a recent interview, the Mexican driver — who was replaced by Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season — revealed how important it was for him to take a break from racing, explaining that once he was forced to step away from the category, he “understood many things.”
“At the time I didn’t realize it, but I needed a break. When you’re in the world of sport, you get carried away because you’re always thinking about the next year, the next race, the next contract,” Sergio Perez told F1.com. “It’s like being on autopilot. But once you are forced out of it, as happened to me, you realize many things and you see the sport differently.”
He went on to add: “When you are inside that bubble that is Formula 1 — because at the end of the day Formula 1 is a bubble — as a driver you worry about so many factors. You’re not always satisfied because you didn’t make the most of the extra time you had available, and so on, and you forget that the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. Because in the end we are privileged to be able to do what we love. For me, that was the most important lesson: you have to enjoy this sport, because we are so competitive and so focused on giving our best that we forget to have fun.”
The 35-year-old then decided to return to the Formula 1 paddock by accepting Cadillac’s challenge. The American brand will make its debut in 2026, and Sergio Perez will be joined by Mercedes reserve driver and former Sauber racer Valtteri Bottas. “At the beginning, the first two months were fantastic,” he said. “But then I realized that I missed F1 because I kept following it. I kept waking up for the races. I could see what was happening: I talked with friends who were in the paddock and I realized that I probably missed it more than I thought.” – the former Red Bull driver concluded.
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