The shenanigans surrounding the second Red Bull seat, and the 'curse' of being Max Verstappen's teammate, have exonerated Sergio Perez and thrust the Mexican Formula 1 veteran into the 2026 Silly Season spotlight as a possible Cadillac driver next year.
Perez's story is well told on Drive to Survive, you can watch with best Netflix deals of 2025. Out of the Formula 1 picture for now, his replacement Liam Lawson struggled so much that Red Bull axed him after two races and thrust Yuki Tsunoda into the lion’s den for the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite the hype, and him running Verstappen reasonably close, he was hardly stellar in his first race in blue.
Hence, as our Editor Jad Mallak suggested, Red Bull owes Perez an apology. In retrospect, his sacking was unnecessary, a massive error by Christian Horner and Helmut Marko in light of the conundrum that has reduced this campaign to a one-man team. Verstappen again does the heavy lifting and brings home the bacon while his teammates lose themselves.
Meanwhile McLaren canter into a healthy lead in the 2025 F1 Constructors Championship after only three races, and for the team that's where the money is.
In terms of driver pecking order, Perez is not on Verstappen's level. But who really is? Maybe he is a rung or two below the four-time World Champion, which still puts him on a higher level than the likes of Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll and perhaps even Carlos Sainz.
Perez could slot into most teams on the current Formula 1 grid with ease
And with a car he enjoys, Checo did have a score of 14 one-twos with Max. In other words, six-time Grand Prix winner Perez would probably fit into more than half the teams on the F1 grid currently, replacing an inferior driver.
Perez has unfinished business in Formula 1 no matter how you look at it. After enforced marking time and watching drivers struggle this season in the second Red Bull, even more than he did, why not get involved with the General Motors-backed Cadillac Formula 1 foray?
Former F1 driver and Le Mans winner turned pundit Johnny Herbert weighed in with some Silly Season kindling: "Yes, Sergio Perez to Cadillac makes sense. As we’ve seen with hindsight, if nothing else, he did a good job at Red Bull. It wasn't perfect. He didn't win a championship, but he did show that he had some raw pace.
"The consistency was probably the only thing that was lacking compared to Max. He’d be good for Cadillac, a good driver to have on board for Cadillac because, coming into the sport, they’ll have someone with that experience which would only benefit them—in the car, in the factory, and also in the various American markets.
"That's something I'm sure that has been taken into consideration. But it's also the passion that Sergio has. It's not as if he's just gone away and said, right, that's it. He’s still got the fire in his stomach for Formula 1. That’s good to see. And I think it would be a perfect fit," ventured Herbert. Watch live F1 with streaming bundle deals.
Who will drive for Cadillac in 2026?
Cadillac will initially use Ferrari power units and gearboxes starting in 2026, with plans to develop their own GM-built Formula 1 engine for later use, potentially by 2028.
Apart from Perez Cadillac is evaluating several drivers for its Formula 1 debut in 2026, with a strong focus on American talent:
- Colton Herta is a key contender but must finish in the top four of IndyCar to qualify for an F1 Super Licence.
- Valtteri Bottas, currently Mercedes reserve, is seeking a return to the grid and brings extensive F1 experience.
- Álex Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion, and Mick Schumacher, former Haas driver and current Mercedes reserve, are also being considered.
- German driver Mick Schumacher, son of Michael Schumacher, has also been considered. He is exploring opportunities to return to a full-time F1 seat.
Herbert doubts Schumi III is in the running: "Mick Schumacher has been out of it for some time now. He probably didn't have the best of times when he was in F1, but he's doing well in sports cars at the moment. So is that more fulfilling for him? Could he come back to F1? Of course, but I think he would be low down on Cadillac’s wish list."
Cadillac has not confirmed any driver yet and continues assessing its options for its looming Formula 1 debut. With experience valuable for a start-up of this nature, and if that be the criteria Perez is sure to be top of the wish list with, say, fellow veteran Bottas.
Together they are 16-time Grand Prix winners, only bettered by Ferrari thanks to Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin due to Fernando Alonso and Red Bull thanks to Max Verstappen. Both know how great Formula 1 teams work firsthand, as do great drivers who they have been teamed with.
(Source: SambaSlots)
What drivers should Cadillac sign for their 2026 Formula 1 foray?
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