Sergio Perez returns to Formula 1 with Cadillac and fires back at Red Bull
Sergio Perez is officially back in Formula 1, this time with Cadillac and alongside new teammate Valtteri Bottas. After several months away from the grid following his exit from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024, the Mexican driver is preparing for a fresh start. But while his comeback is motivated by passion and a desire to enjoy racing again, Perez has also made it clear that he has no unfinished business to prove. At the same time, he could not resist a small jab at his former team in Milton Keynes.
“I feel like I have nothing to prove,” Sergio Perez said in an interview with Motorsport.com. “People tend to forget that the Red Bull environment was always extremely tough. You constantly had to adapt, rebuild your confidence and deal with intense pressure. It was a unique challenge. Looking at the points that other drivers have scored since, I don’t think I need to demonstrate anything to anyone.”
From Racing Point heroics to Red Bull highs and lows
Perez’s career trajectory has been anything but straightforward. Back in late 2020, after his emotional victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix with Racing Point, his Formula 1 future looked revitalized. The win was the first of his career and seemed to finally cement him as a proven race winner, ready to return to the top tier of the sport. Although he had previously spent a single season with McLaren in 2013, that stint ended without a podium finish, and many believed his chance at a front-running seat was gone forever.
Then came the Red Bull Racing opportunity in 2021. In only his sixth race with the team, Perez claimed victory in Baku. He became a crucial part of Max Verstappen’s first title-winning campaign, famously defending against Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in a performance that helped swing the championship. Over the following two seasons, Perez added four more wins – two in 2022 and two in 2023 – confirming himself as a proven race winner in one of Formula 1’s most dominant cars.
But the fairytale came undone in 2024. From the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola onwards, Perez’s form collapsed. He struggled to adapt to the demanding RB20 chassis, and while Max Verstappen continued winning races, Perez regularly found himself outside the podium places. The gap to his teammate grew, Red Bull shockingly lost the Constructors’ Championship, and the team hierarchy decided it was time to move on. Perez, once hailed as the perfect supporting driver, suddenly found himself without a seat.
Cadillac offers Perez a second chance in Formula 1
The 2025 Formula 1 season, however, revealed that Red Bull’s problems ran deeper than Perez. Neither Liam Lawson nor Yuki Tsunoda managed to bring the team’s second car anywhere close to Verstappen’s pace. Even the Dutch champion himself admitted that the car was extremely difficult to handle. This broader context helped to rehabilitate Perez’s reputation, highlighting that the struggles were not solely down to him.
That experience and resilience have now convinced Cadillac, the American manufacturer making its full-time debut in Formula 1, to put its trust in Perez. Team executives believe that his knowledge, racecraft and calmness under pressure can guide the squad in its ambitious new project. For Sergio Perez, the move represents both redemption and a chance to race without the crushing expectations that defined his Red Bull years.
“I’m back to enjoy racing again”
Sergio Perez, who will turn 35 this year, insisted that his comeback is less about silencing critics and more about enjoying the sport again. “For me, it’s more of a return to enjoy the sport that I love,” the driver from Guadalajara explained. “I couldn’t let my career end the way it did, which is why I’m joining this new project. I hope it becomes very successful. But above all else, I just want to enjoy being back.”
He also reflected on the perspective he gained during his time away from the paddock. “Being outside of Formula 1, I learned a lot about myself as a driver,” Sergio Perez said. “When you step back and watch the sport as a fan, you realize that many of the things drivers worry about are completely irrelevant to the people watching. My focus now is simply to have fun, give everything I can each time I get into the car, and work closely with the team. That’s what really matters.”
A fresh chapter with Cadillac
With Cadillac joining the grid, Formula 1 welcomes another manufacturer eager to challenge the established giants of the sport. For Perez, this new partnership is not only a lifeline but also an opportunity to contribute to building a team from the ground up, alongside the experienced Valtteri Bottas. While it remains to be seen how competitive Cadillac will be in its first seasons, Perez’s return adds star power, experience and resilience to the project.
Whether this marks the start of a successful late-career chapter or simply a graceful farewell, one thing is clear: Sergio Perez is determined to leave Formula 1 on his own terms, with a smile on his face and without regrets.
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