Wheatley advises Cadillac: Should the team bring in Perez?

While speaking to Formula 1, Wheatley commented on a possible return for Perez: “I really enjoyed working with Checo. He is a great personality, and he has a wonderful attitude towards life. Period. I have no doubt about his speed. That was clear from the start. He has driven some amazing races for my former team, and I don’t think it's a big issue that he hasn’t driven a Formula 1 car in a while. Once you know how, you remember.”

Perez played a significant role during his years at Red Bull Racing. The moment most people remember is when he held up Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021, allowing Max Verstappen to catch up. Ultimately, the Dutchman, partly thanks to his then-teammate's action, won the title.

Wheatley mentioned that he had a good relationship with Perez: “I spent a lot of time with him initially because I wanted to get to know him and I wanted him to adjust to the team. What I really liked was that he challenged me in my role in sports. He made me wonder if I was giving it my all. It wasn’t that he was critical, but he challenged you in a positive way and I liked that.”

Sauber's team principal continued: “I think it motivated me to improve in my job, and I think it was mutual, and that the work we did together also made him better in his job. He is completely focused on performance. What more could you want?”