Sergio Perez remains optimistic about returning to the Formula One podium with Cadillac, despite the likelihood of the sport’s newest team being the slowest when they debut next season.
The Mexican driver, alongside his Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas, brings a wealth of experience with a combined total of 527 starts and 16 grand prix victories. Both drivers, aged 36, are making a comeback after an involuntary year away from the sport.
Perez, who parted ways with Red Bull at the end of 2023 after serving as Max Verstappen’s teammate, has accumulated 39 career podiums and aims to achieve his 40th before retiring.
Speaking to Reuters from Cadillac’s Silverstone factory, where he was fitting his seat for the team’s 2026 car, the former Sauber, McLaren,
and Force India/Racing Point driver expressed his confidence. “Yes, I think so. I really believe it. I’ve been on the podium with all the teams I drove for, except McLaren. We’re going to start at the back and progressively move forward. Ultimately, in the near future, the podium is a target. It doesn’t matter who gets there, as long as it’s Cadillac.”
The U.S.-owned team, supported by General Motors, is well-funded and staffed, having recruited several familiar names from established teams. With over 400 people on board and aiming for approximately 600, preparations are on track. Perez is scheduled to drive a 2023 Ferrari at Imola this month to regain his form and assist the team in gelling, despite many familiar faces.
“I’m curious to find out how many laps my neck will do before it gets destroyed,” said Perez, already flexing his muscles during a video call. “But it’s a great test and a great way to finish the year before getting back in the car next year.”
The 2026 Cadillac will feature a Ferrari engine, with testing set for the end of January in Barcelona. Meanwhile, Perez will drive a Ferrari for the first time since his stint with the Italian team’s young driver academy and racing for Sauber in 2011. “It’s a time for us to get together with the engineers, mechanics, and start working together, start talking the same language,” he explained.
Perez is enthusiastic about being part of the first all-new team on the grid since Haas a decade ago. “New teams that have come in the past have always struggled financially. This team is coming for real, to do things in the best way, and to win. Cadillac is here for big things. It doesn’t matter where we start, it’s how quickly we develop and move forward, and how the team works weekend after weekend.”
When announced as a Cadillac driver in August, Perez declared he had nothing to prove and just wanted to enjoy racing again. His fans are already excited, with numerous Cadillac shirts and flags seen at races in Texas and Mexico City last month. “Yeah, they’ve got more kit than we have at the moment,” joked Perez.
With Reuters Inputs
