Sergio Perez nears deal to join Cadillac F1 team for 2026 season

Photo Credit: Autosport.com

Per reputable reports from PlanetF1 and racing journalist Thomas Maher, former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has signed a contract with Cadillac F1 team for the 2026 season, the team’s debut season in Formula 1. While contract details have not yet been revealed, the move is rumored to be announced during the Italian Grand Prix weekend in early September.

Cadillac will enter F1 in 2026 as the 11th team on the grid, marking the first time since 2016 that there have been more than 10 teams in the sport. Due to his pedigree, Cadillac will likely make Perez its No. 1 driver, a role the 35-year-old hasn’t held often.

“I’ve talked to Checo [Sergio Perez] a couple of times over the last couple of months," said F1 reporter Lawrence Barretto. "What I can tell you is he is super hungry to come back to Formula 1, for the right project. And I think the reason why Cadillac is so attractive to him is because of everything they are throwing at it.”

Given the reports, it’s clear Perez was attracted to the project with Cadillac, but the team was also enamored with his history in the sport and racing skills.

A 14-year F1 veteran, Perez was left without a spot on the grid this season after a disappointing end to his Red Bull career in 2024. The 35-year-old had spent the last four seasons racing alongside the reigning World Drivers' Champion, Max Verstappen, winning two World Constructors' Championships with the British team (2022, 2023).

Perez is a six-time Grand Prix winner, with five race wins coming with Red Bull. In four seasons with the team (2021-2024), Perez won once in 2021 and twice in both 2022 and 2023. The Mexican recorded 932 points, 29 podiums, and three pole positions during his Red Bull career. Perez finished second in the World Drivers’ Championship in 2023.

“Checo has always been very strong,” said former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

“Of course, he had some difficult moments with us, but as long as he has the motivation to race, I think he is a very good choice, especially for a new team.”

Last season was a struggle for Perez. He failed to win a Grand Prix for the first time since 2019, recorded just four podiums, and retired from five races, the second-most of his 14-year career. However, now Perez can point the finger at the car and not his skills as to why the 35-year-old performed poorly in 2024. Since Perez departed Red Bull at the end of last season, the team has used two drivers to replace him. Rookie Liam Lawson lasted just two races before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. With the car tailored to his unique race craft, Verstappen has 187 of Red Bull’s 194 points this season, with Tsunoda failing to finish in the points in most races.

Before joining Red Bull in 2021, Perez spent 10 years with Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Racing Point. Perez made his debut with Sauber in 2011, racing 37 times and registering 80 points (three podiums) for the Swiss-based team. He had 49 points with McLaren in 2013, his lone season for the team.

Perez joined Force India in 2014. He spent eight seasons with the team, which rebranded to Racing Point for Perez’s last three years. Force India/Racing Point now races as Aston Martin in F1. The 35-year-old raced 154 times for Force India/Racing Point, scoring 577 points, finishing on the podium seven times, and winning his first Grand Prix.

In 2020, Perez’s final year with Force India/Racing Point, he would finish fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship, his highest non-Red Bull finish of his illustrious career. That same year, Perez would win his first Grand Prix, his only non-Red Bull victory. Perez miraculously won the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, making his way through the field to cross the finish line first after being last following Lap 1. This was Racing Point’s only win as a constructor.

“If you look at his performances at Force India and Racing Point, you will see that he always scored good points there,” Verstappen said.

Perez is now slated to join the next big project in F1. Cadillac is backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, and led by Graeme Lowdon, the former CEO of Virgin Racing/Marussia. The American-based team still needs to find a second driver before the 2026 F1 season opens in Australia next March.