Verstappen: Very happy for Perez that he got a seat with Cadillac

Perez partnered with Verstappen at Red Bull from 2021 to 2024 but left after a dramatic drop in form. The 35-year-old's return, alongside Valtteri Bottas, with the 2026 debutants Cadilklac, was announced on Tuesday.

Verstappen told reporters ahead of his home Dutch Grand Prix: "When I saw the news come out, I quickly sent a message to him. I'm of course very happy for him that he got a seat. He's a great guy and we've always got along very well. I'm happy to see him back on the grid.

"How he's going to perform, I think, will also depend on how good the car is going to be... but it's a new opportunity and I'm sure he's very excited for it, reckoned Verstappen.

Perez, a six-time Grand Prix winner, was championship runner-up to Verstappen in 2023 but slumped to eighth in 2024 when his teammate clinched his fourth title in a row.

His successors Liam Lawson, who lasted two races, and Yuki Tsunoda have also struggled in a team where Verstappen is the clear number one and the car tuned to his taste.

Since Perez left, Verstappen has won two races and scored 187 points, but his teammates have only added seven, with Tsunoda having a best result of sixth in the Miami sprint and ninth in regular grands prix.

Verstappen said Perez now had the chance to make a fresh start with the sport's 11th team: "I think also from his side, just one half of the season doesn't define what you can do, right? I think he's also quite easy in that. Some people may dwell on it a bit more.

"He has shown a lot of great things even before he got to Red Bull, during the Red Bull time. He just needs to go in there and enjoy it again and have a good time," added Verstappen.

Stats show that in 90 Grand |Prix starts as teammates, Verstappen outqualified Perez 77 to 13, and the Dutch ace beat the Mexican veteran 79 to 11 times over that period in races.