Mansell: They can't afford me! So, Perez should race for Cadillac

Speaking to wettfreunde.net about the driver market in the context of Cadillac’s impending arrival, Mansell said: “Checo Perez should be racing for Cadillac, in my opinion.” The Mexican veteran of 281 Grand Prix starts knows what it is to be part of a top team, having spent time at McLaren in his early career and more recently part of Red Bull, contributing to their two F1 Constructors titles in 2022 and 2023.

He stressed the need for proven drivers who can provide valuable technical feedback: “Hopefully, there are some clever people there who plan their strategy well. They need in the first year some experienced drivers to give them feedback so they know what they need to be as competitive as they can be.”

Mansell added that Perez, despite recent criticism at Red Bull, still has a lot to offer: “Checo Perez deserves another opportunity. He’s very experienced and the year before last he drove superbly and helped Max enormously to win the title. There’s one for you.”

While championing Perez, Mansell acknowledged the commercial value of an American driver for Cadillac as the second US-owned F1 team: “I’m not sure whether America may want an American driver too.”

His comments echo earlier calls from fellow former F1 driver Derek Warwick, who also identified Perez as a logical short-term option for Cadillac’s debut campaign: “Checo Perez would be a good person to have with the team, he’s got a lot of experience, he understands what makes a car win. Is he ultimately the quickest? If I was a Cadillac, I would definitely put Perez in one of my cars.”

In typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, Mansell joked about throwing his own hat in the ring: “Nigel Mansell too, for crying out loud. The trouble is they can't afford me but I'd be there in a heartbeat!”

Reflecting on what a new team needs, the Briton who made the red 5 his trademark in F1, said: “I would have two drivers who will work as closely together as possible. Still being competitive but there’s no angst between them. A new team needs to be as close as possible.”