Sergio Perez is in the early phase of his F1 comeback with Cadillac for the 2026 season, and already believes his performances are reinforcing his place among the sport’s elite. After being sidelined in 2025 following Red Bull’s decision to release him at the end of 2024, the Mexican driver—now alongside Valtteri Bottas—has returned to the grid with the American manufacturer.
Key Highlights:
- Sergio Perez says he is “happy I came back” to F1 and believes he has proven he is “one of the best” drivers
- Cadillac has made major performance gains after Miami upgrades, moving closer to the midfield pack
- Perez delivered a strong Canada weekend, including P11 in the Sprint and a retirement from the Grand Prix due to suspension failure
- Driver urges Cadillac to improve operational execution despite encouraging on-track progress
Cadillac’s Progress Lifts Perez Closer to Midfield Fight
Cadillac began their debut F1 campaign at the back of the grid, but a wave of upgrades introduced in Miami has helped close the gap to the midfield. Perez has been central to that progress, increasingly challenging more established teams as the season develops.
In Canada, he led the team effort with a strong weekend, narrowly missing out on progression in Sprint Qualifying before finishing 11th in the Sprint race (later affected by a post-race penalty). His aggressive soft-tyre strategy and wheel-to-wheel battles highlighted a competitive return to form, even though his Grand Prix ended in retirement due to a suspension failure while racing Haas’ Esteban Ocon.
“I’m very happy with my performances,” Perez said after the race when reflecting on his return to F1. “I’m happy I came back and have proven to myself that I’m one of the best out there. That to me is really nice, and I’m very happy with the level of driving I’m doing.”
Perez Praises Progress but Urges Operational Improvements
While encouraged by Cadillac’s performance gains, Perez also pointed to operational issues that have cost the team results. He said: “I think we’ve done a massive step. I think this has been our most competitive weekend of all, so plenty of positives to take.”
However, he stressed the need for faster improvement behind the scenes, adding: “I’m impatient at the moment with the operational side. I think it’s something that we have to improve, and we’re in a massive hurry, because we’re not maximising the result.
“I think we’re making progress on performance, which is very positive, but on the operational side it’s something that we are lacking tremendously, and we have to find our way for the European season now.”
Focus Shifts to Monaco Challenge
Looking ahead to the demanding streets of Monte Carlo, Perez remains cautiously optimistic about Cadillac’s chances. “Monaco is Monaco. It’s a one-off, so hopefully we can be really strong there.”
