While Sergio Perez has remained tight-lipped over the Red Bull saga, he is not oblivious to the Formula One world as plans for a return are afoot. Perez is currently on a sabbatical. Motorsport legend and Cadillac team advisor Mario Andretti has claimed that the departed Red Bull driver would be an ideal option for the outfit in 2026.
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Perez On Formula One Return
Perez has proven his mettle on the court before and is a 6-time Grand Prix winner as well. Impressed with his skillset, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has backed the driver. This is something that any new team on the Formula One grid must consider when selecting a driver. Nonetheless, Perez is thoroughly enjoying his 2025 Formula One hiatus.
“I have six months,” he told Prodynamics. “I gave myself six months to see what options I have and decide what the next step in my career will be. The doors are open in many places. I have the opportunity to decide what I want with my career. What comes next is important, so I want to give myself the time and space to make the best decision possible,” confirmed Perez.
Nonetheless, despite his much-publicized troubles with four-time world champion Max Verstappen, Perez's stock has unexpectedly climbed. This comes after his successor, Kiwi Liam Lawson, was booted from his Red Bull seat after only two races. Worse, after crashing out in a wet and unpredictable Melbourne, Lawson was clearly the slowest driver overall in a bone-dry Shanghai.
“I mean, for certain races last year, Sergio is now looking like a magician,” commented former F1 driver Mark Webber.
According to Fox Sports, negotiations between Cadillac and Perez are 'far underway'. And, as for Cadillac, Andretti concedes that another Mexican, this time not on an F1 sabbatical, is an option. He is, of course, referring to 2025 IndyCar frontrunner Pato O’Ward. Although the team says they may have to fight to extricate him from his existing contract with McLaren. – with GMM