Sergio Perez Aims Dig At Red Bull After F1 Return Confirmed

Sergio Perez has leveled a dig at his successors at Red Bull after being given a return to the Formula 1 grid for 2026.

The new Cadillac team announced on Tuesday, August 26, that the Mexican would race for the American outfit alongside Valtteri Bottas in its debut F1 campaign next year, marking a return for both drivers after a year on the sidelines.

Perez was shifted aside by Red Bull in favor of Liam Lawson at the end of last term to bring an end to a four-season stint with the former constructors' champions, following a poor final 18 months with the team.

"Nothing to prove"

At multiple points throughout the final two years with Red Bull, Perez's teammate Max Verstappen leapt to his defense with relation to his poor results and pointed to a lack of car performance as something the squad needed to improve upon.

That defense and Perez's own beliefs that he was not wholly to blame for the slump has been vindicated somewhat by the failure of Lawson to keep his seat for more than two rounds of the campaign - the Kiwi himself dropped to the Racing Bulls outfit in favor of Yuki Tsunoda after a disastrous Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

And given how abruptly his first stint in the championship finished last term, many feel like Perez has unfinished business and wrongs to right.

But as per Motorsport.com, Perez said: "I feel like there's nothing to prove. Not just because of the current drivers or the next drivers that were in my seat but even before that," he said.

¿Se acuerdan que les dije que nos volveríamos a ver?#WeAreBack #SP11 pic.twitter.com/TD7uCX6bNa
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) August 26, 2025

"Now everyone forgets about it, but it's been a very tricky place to be in, to constantly be adapting, to build confidence mentally. It's a very unique challenge.

"I don't think I have anything to prove when you see the amount of points they've scored. It's like five points in the entire season [seven points, actually].

"To me, it's more of a comeback to enjoy the sport. I want to enjoy the sport that I love, the sport that has given me so much. I couldn't afford to leave the way I left the sport, and this is why I'm coming back with this new project. I hope it's a very successful one. But amongst that, more than anything, I want to enjoy this comeback."

Disconnect from racing

Jan 18, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Former Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez enters the field as a guest of Club America prior to America's match against Inter Miami CF at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Unlike others who have left F1 after a lengthy time in the sport, Perez opted not to find racing in another category and instead took time away from the circuit to spend time with his family.

Perez explained: "For me, it was very important to have this time off the sport, especially because it only became clear towards the end of the year that I was not going to continue with Red Bull.

"So, instead of jumping into something just for staying on the grid, I needed that time to disconnect from the sport and to understand what I really want next in my career.

"It wasn't very clear for me in the beginning, especially the first couple of months, what I wanted to do next. The more I was talking to the Cadillac team, the more it became apparent that this is what excites me to go back. It's just not going back to the grid with a regular team to fight for podiums and races and points. This is a whole project. The dynamic, I feel, is different."

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