Sergio Perez Backed For Huge F1 Comeback With This Team

Saajan Jogia | Feb 6, 2025

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) of Team Mexico speaks to the crowd during a fan forum before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has asked Formula 1's new team, Cadillac, to consider an experienced driver like Sergio Perez in one of its cars when it becomes a part of the Formula 1 grid in 2026.

After overcoming several hurdles, Cadillac was finally approved to enter the premier class of motorsport towards the end of last year, after General Motors announced a greater role in its collaboration with Andretti. While the American outfit has been gearing up for its F1 debut by announcing key hires, it is yet to finalize its driver lineup.

The team's board member, Mario Andretti told NBC that a preferred driver lineup would be to have a young American driver alongside an F1 veteran. When asked if American drivers like Colton Herta would be in the mix, he told NBC News:

“He’s definitely one that’s considered.

“From our standpoint, I think the play at the beginning would be to have one experienced driver – nationality doesn’t matter – and then a young American talent. These are the objectives at the moment.”

Perez was dropped by Red Bull due to performance struggles during the 2024 season, where the team missed out on the Constructors' Championship, largely due to balance issues on the RB20 F1 car. The intense pressure in the Milton Keynes outfit was reportedly a challenge for the Mexican driver. However, his extensive F1 experience and key role in Red Bull’s success during the ground effect era have been impressive, prompting Steiner to suggest him as a strong candidate for a potential Cadillac seat. Speaking to GPBlog, he said:

“If you’re Cadillac, you need somebody experienced. Checo has been in quite a few teams for a long time. He knows his way around. He could be a big help.”

Steiner then suggested Cadillac put him on a one-year contract to assess his performance. He stressed that it would be better than hiring rookie drivers. He said:

“Maybe put him (Perez) on a one-year contract, it’s a lot better than having old rookies in there. That’s an opportunity for Checo.

“And by then, a year of digesting the beating from Max, he recovers from the Dutch beating, so it could bring him to a better place again. I would say he could have value for Cadillac.”

Perez's move to Cadillac is something that Steiner thinks would suit the driver, as competing for points in a midfield car brings a different kind of pressure than fighting for race wins. He explained:

“Wait a moment. I don’t want to be cynical here. He was up at the front of the grid last year.

“We need to be realistic. Fighting for one point because the car cannot be better is one thing, but fighting for one point when your team-mate with the same car is winning races puts you in a different headspace, it’s a different pressure.

“Checo was very good when he was at Force India Racing, whatever it was called, Racing Point. He always overdelivered as an underdog. He couldn’t keep up with the pressure of the top team.

“So maybe it’s his comfort zone where he has not got that pressure to need to show that he’s good by winning, by showing that I can make a point, maybe that maybe puts him in a better place.”