Opinion | Sergio Perez is the perfect driver for Andretti-Cadillac

It will probably take until early 2024 for Formula 1 to let Andretti-Cadillac know whether the team will be allowed to join the F1 grid from 2025. Relatively late, if the Americans are yet to build a competitive car. Nevertheless, at the brand-new headquarters in Indianapolis, preparations are in full swing. Future drivers are no doubt also being considered. One desirable name is already known with Colton Herta; for the second seat, Sergio Perez should be the leading candidate. Here's why.

Michael Andretti, the big man behind Andretti Global, has never made a secret of the fact that his American team should feature an American driver. In his IndyCar team, Andretti has at his disposal Colton Herta, a 23-year-old driver who has already completed five seasons in F1's American counterpart. With varying success, by the way. Herta took seven wins, the last dating from May 2022. Last season, Bryan Herta's son finished tenth in the final standings.

Herta top contender, but is a snag

With an eye on a future place in Formula 1, that ranking was more than a setback. After all, the story is familiar: Herta does not have a Super Licence, necessary to compete in Formula 1. That was the reason AlphaTauri eventually chose Nyck de Vries for the 2023 season and not the first option Herta. A tenth-place finish in IndyCar hardly earned Herta extra points for a Super Licence. Assuming Andretti-Cadillac is admitted by F1, he does not currently have the required papers to drive Grands Prix.

Within Andretti Global, however, there is a driver who has shown he can compete at the absolute top of a class as well as having a Super Licence. His name is Jake Dennis, the reigning British Formula E champion. So not an American, but someone who already has some experience in Formula 1. Although Dennis never drove a Grand Prix, he is a significant part of the current success of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. In fact, Dennis has been one of the simulator drivers at the Milton Keynes factory since 2018. He knows the RB19 inside and out, having spent many hours in the simulator.

Perez would be the perfect driver

Dennis would be a logical option if Herta does not get a Super Licence. At the same time, Briton Dennis has never made a secret of being perfectly comfortable in Formula E and not aspiring to a Formula 1 adventure. But what happens if the opportunity does come? That remains to be seen. In any case, it is hard to imagine Michael Andretti choosing two rookies for 2025, as he needs at least one very experienced driver, especially in the early years. Someone who has been through and seen it all. Someone who wants to pass on his knowledge to the next generation in the latter days of his career. Someone like Sergio Perez.

Perez's contract at Red Bull Racing expires after 2024. By then, the Mexican will have completed 14 seasons in the premier class of motorsport. In F1, Perez has seen and done everything; from being a field filler with Sauber to winning races and possibly becoming vice-world champion with Red Bull. Indeed, his current form is not as it should be. But surely somewhere inside the Mexican must be that racer, someone Andretti would benefit from? Besides, the knowledge and skill Perez possesses is invaluable to a new team like Andretti-Cadillac.

A fine end to his career

In his home country of Mexico, Perez is a folk hero, which makes him very interesting for sponsors from Mexico as well as the US (which has a large population of Mexicans). Andretti-Cadillac could put those pesetas to good use in the first few years, especially if performance (and hence prize money) disappoints. Moreover, in North America, Perez is a perfect signboard for the young racing stable. Perez is a name, someone for whom doors will open.

For Perez, Andretti-Cadillac could be a fitting finale to his career. At first glance, no other teams seem able or willing to give him a spot in F1 in 2024. If Perez still wants to delay his F1 retirement, Andretti-Cadillac could just be his best and only alternative.