Perez draws parallels between Norris’ 2025 season and his Red Bull struggle

The Mexican driver, who is now preparing for his debut with the Cadillac F1 team, reflected on how Norris’ early-season challenges mirrored his own time at Red Bull Racing. Perez also noted how Norris’ form surged once McLaren adjusted the car to better suit his driving style.

“I think he [Norris] had a good season, right? When he went through a bit of what I experienced, when he didn’t have a car that suited his style, it was really hard for him, but he never gave up. He turned it around when McLaren built the car to his specifications,” Perez said via the Oso Trava podcast.

Despite claiming the drivers’ championship, Norris was on numerous occasions vocal about the McLaren MCL39 car not suiting his driving style. This rhetoric particularly dominated the first half of the season, when he trailed teammate Oscar Piastri by 34 points after 14 rounds.

However, the final stretch of the season saw him overturn this deficit to claim the drivers’ title ahead of Max Verstappen and Piastri in Abu Dhabi.

Perez also touched on the details of his final conversation with former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner following his departure from the team.

The Mexican highlighted how they both reflected on the driving options available to Red Bull and shared the striking response Horner offered during their exchange.

As the commencement of the 2026 season draws nearer, our Paddock Update is the place to be.

Follow and subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Spotify to stay up to date with all the happenings as they unfold, ahead of the first on-track action under the new Formula 1 regulations.

Check out the latest episode of our Paddock Update here 👇