What Sergio Perez's Signing With Cadillac Means for 2026
Less than one year after leaving Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez is slated to make his return to Formula 1 as part of Team Cadillac’s 2026 debut. Despite a less-than-optimal performance in the 2024 season, Sergio “Checo” Perez is a veteran F1 driver boasting 39 podium finishes over 14 years. This new partnership offers Perez an opportunity to prove that it isn’t time for him to leave the track. However, it may provide the rookie Cadillac team with the grand entrance they’re looking for.
Though Cadillac may be new to the Formula 1 circuit, Checo isn’t the only racing veteran on the team. Cadillac is led by Team Principal Graeme Lowdon, making his return to Formula 1 since his 2015 departure from Manor Marussia. For Lowdon, the hunt for the best drivers could not be more crucial. At the announcement of Lowdon’s position with Cadillac, he made clear his understanding of the challenges they would face entering a world with 10 other well-established teams, and his desire to find experienced drivers who were up to the challenge. With nearly 300 races under his belt, Perez fits the bill.
Perez may have received some vindication for his underperformance in 2024 as well. Replacing Checo in Red Bull’s number two seat was Liam Lawson, who subsequently failed to match Perez’s pace. After his short stint, Lawson was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who has also faced difficulty managing Red Bull’s car. These challenges, along with stability complaints from Red Bull’s poster boy and world champion, Max Verstappen, suggest that the problems Perez encountered in 2024 stemmed from the development of Red Bull's car, and not his weaknesses as a driver. Cadillac and Lowdon likely considered this when scouting Perez as a potential addition. In 2026, it is not unreasonable to expect a strong performance from Perez if Cadillac can provide him with a more agreeable car.
With the confirmation of Sergio Perez to Team Cadillac, fans are left wondering who will take up the second seat. Other drivers scouted by Cadillac included American IndyCar driver Colton Herta, but complications with running him in F1 have taken him out of consideration for the time being. Another former Red Bull Formula 1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo, was also in the running, but having recently been let go by the Racing Bulls, Ricciardo has expressed a desire to step back from Formula 1 altogether. Though the search continues, signing Perez is a strong start.
Despite uncertainty around Cadillac’s second driver, Perez’s new position promises an exciting start to the 2026 season at the Australian Grand Prix. Perez has historically been a remarkably competent driver, which was in part why his departure from Red Bull was so shocking. With his return to the track, he’ll be fighting to prove that he was let go too early and that he has a lot more to give to the sport. Backed by Team Cadillac, Perez will be equipped with an organization of seasoned racers and a team eager to make a name for itself in a new environment, a powerful force that other teams will do well not to underestimate.
