Perez reveals F1 return doubts before proving he is ‘still one of the best’

The Mexican driver stepped away from F1 after losing his Red Bull seat, but returned to the grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season. While adapting to life back in the sport presented its own challenges, Perez believes his performances have given him the confidence that he remains one of the best drivers on the grid.

Speaking to GPblog among other media outlets, he said: "I had some doubts on coming back to the sport, and I I came back and I'm really happy because I managed to prove to myself that I'm still one of the best out there with the right environment. I can perform at a very high level. I think I've proved that to myself. I think my race pace has been really strong and my quality pace. I've been getting better and better. I think I've been very, very happy."

Perez has been particularly encouraged by his race pace and qualifying performances, insisting that he has shown what he can achieve when given the right environment. However, the 2026 season also reminded him just how demanding life as a Formula 1 driver can be, with the relentless travel and packed schedule proving one of his biggest challenges on his return.

Perez's team principal Graeme Lowdon has explained the task of turning hundreds of new employees into a functioning team, in an interview with GPblog.

In building its staff, Cadillac has made a point of recruiting the best possible people in every area. “As a team principal I expect to be challenged by those people. There's no point just hiring people who think the same way and say ‘yes, yes’. Because all that happens is everyone has a nice time and then they realise their last,” says Lowdon.