How Verstappen Helps Former Teammate Perez Secure a Seat with Cadillac

13:38, 01 May

byLudo van Denderen

In the Mexican media, rumors have been swirling for days: Sergio Perez might be in Miami this upcoming weekend, signing a contract with Cadillac. All of that sounds quite optimistic, even though the Mexican is currently in good standing with the new F1 team, thanks in part to Max Verstappen.

Cadillac is faced with an important decision in the coming period: which drivers will debut with the team in the Formula 1 in 2026. It's well known that Mario Andretti - advisor to the Cadillac F1 Team - wants to hire at least one American. Besides, an experienced force must be appointed, and Sergio Perez's name has been in discussion for a while.

Was Perez not that bad?

After the past season, Red Bull Racing sidelined the Mexican because the difference with teammate Max Verstappen was too great. Moreover, the experienced driver was blamed for barely achieving any good results at all, while Verstappen became world champion again. It was generally assumed that Perez had lost his speed, which then justified a swap with Liam Lawson.

Liam Lawson, earlier this season in the two races he ran for Red Bull, completely failed to make any sort of impact impact. Just like Yuki Tsunoda struggles to keep up with Verstappen, in another Red Bull that's hard to handle - exactly the same thing Perez was criticised for.

After five Grand Prix weekends in 2025, there's a shift in how Perez's performances are viewed. With hindsight, the Mexican seems not to have done so badly at Red Bull, evidenced by how much trouble his successors are also having in being Verstappen's teammate. The more Verstappen continues to crush his teammates, the better Perez looks.

Cadillac is a logical step

That particular fact might come in handy for Perez as he enters the drivers' market for 2026. Anyway, the top teams are no longer waiting for Perez, so they're ruled out from the start. There won't be many options among the other, current teams, as most drivers have long-term commitments. So, Cadillac remains, a team that will be in the building phase.

Whether Perez is interested in possibly spending a year at the back, that will be the big question? If the answer is 'yes,' then the Americans would indeed be a logical step for Perez.

Whether Cadillac makes the decision now for 2026 remains to be seen, because, why rush? Perhaps there will be drivers available later on who are a notch better than Perez. For instance, what will become of Yuki Tsunoda in '26? But that Perez is high on the list is no secret. And that's partly thanks to Max Verstappen's performances in 2025.