Sergio Perez says he determined to return to Method 1 with the brand new Cadillac crew for 2026 with a view to “enjoy” the game once more after the bruising expertise of his last 12 months at Crimson Bull.
The Mexican’s racing comeback for subsequent 12 months at F1’s new eleventh crew 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 12 months.
Perez was dropped by Crimson 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 “a lot more to give”.
Recent from Tuesday’s announcement, Perez joined the most recent version of The F1 Present to debate the explanations behind his return.
“I’ll be honest, it wasn’t an easy decision because I’ve had the privilege to have a fantastic career in the sport and, to be honest, I felt like I’ve done it all in 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 fitting factor for us as a household, as a mission, to get again to get pleasure from it.
“The last year especially was very hard. It was very demanding and I didn’t enjoy it.
“I really like the game and I wish to return to get pleasure from it. That is the primary driving issue behind coming again is to simply get pleasure from it and provides again lots of like to the game that has given me all the things.”
Cutting a noticeably relaxed figure in his Sky Sports F1 interview after eight months away from racing, Perez added: “As you’ll be able to think about, this 12 months has been rather a lot higher than the earlier 12 months, so I am certain I look a bit brisker in that regard!
“It was a lot of weight on my shoulders the last year.
“I do not really feel like I’ve received something to show as a result of you realize what has occurred in my earlier crew has proven already what have been the struggles that I had.”
‘Now you realise the job I’ve completed in that automotive and that crew’ – Perez on Crimson Bull replacements’ struggles
The conclusion to Perez’s initially-promising four-year Crimson 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 way of Crimson Bull’s absolutely-dominant 2023 marketing campaign was adopted by a extra pricey one when the pack closed up in 2024.
He ended a 12 months during which team-mate Verstappen gained his fourth successive drivers’ title by scoring simply 9 factors throughout the ultimate eight Grand Prix weekends and registering no podiums in his last 19 makes an attempt.
After dropping the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren, Crimson Bull administration determined they’d 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 last season at Crimson Bull in 2024
Preliminary alternative Liam Lawson lasted simply two point-less races within the seat earlier than he was demoted again to sister crew Racing Bulls, whereas his alternative Yuki Tsunoda has scored simply seven factors in 12 races – and none since Might.
Requested why he thought the Crimson Bull’s second driver struggled a lot, Perez mentioned: “I think it’s just the whole dynamics of the team.
“Every part is pushed… clearly they’ve a novel expertise over there with Max and all the things and whenever you get there, the event curve they’ve, it’s totally troublesome for the second driver that’s there to mainly adapt to the automotive.
“It’s a very unique car, very unique driving style that I managed to survive for many years but it’s difficult and it’s the way it works, and you’ve seen it with great drivers before my time or 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 very, very difficult, very tricky and they’re fantastic drivers, you know, but it’s just the way it is to drive it.
Perez, who won five races in 2021-2023, added: “It is only a very distinctive driving model. Typically I might deal with 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 turned undrivable and then you definitely begin making errors one after the opposite.
“You are losing confidence, but mentally I was super strong and that’s why I survived there for so long because I had a lot of pressure and a lot of you guys were on to me and now you realise the job I’ve done in that car and that team.”
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 grow to be clear he could be leaving Crimson Bull.
He says that the mission “excites me because it’s starting from zero and I can put all my years of experience into the team”.
Having beforehand pushed for Sauber, McLaren and Pressure India/Racing Level earlier than becoming a member of Crimson Bull in 2021, Cadillac would be the first brand-new Method 1 crew 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 crew, Perez mentioned: “The ambitions that there’s behind it with [chief executive] Dan Towriss, the TWG mission 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’s not just a new team, it’s a team that is coming full in and you can see with the drivers. They’ve gone for a lot of experience, they’ve done the same with a lot of the engineering team, a lot of the group.
“It is a new crew, but it surely’s a crew that has lots of expertise in Method 1, people who have completed all of it within the sport, and that is one thing nice to have.”
Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 29-31, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
