Sergio Perez is reportedly set to return to the Formula 1 grid next year, with the Mexican driver poised to occupy one of Cadillac’s seats during its inaugural season.
The 35-year-old, who made his F1 debut in 2011, was released from his Red Bull contract last year following a disappointing season for the Austrian team, accumulating 285 less points than teammate Max Verstappen. He was sidelined for the 2025 season after failing to secure a seat elsewhere on the grid.
However, PlanetF1.com reports that Cadillac will announce Perez as one of its drivers for 2026, with an official announcement expected next month. Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has also been touted as a candidate.
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The American team will led by Graeme Lowdon, who in March declared that experience would be considered when choosing a driver line-up.
“Do we value experience? Yes, you can see that from how we’re putting the rest of the team together – there’s a lot of very experienced people within the management and operational side of the team as well,” Lowdon said.
“So that is important, but, when you’re looking at driver selection, there’s just a whole bunch of things that go into the decision making.
“So it’s ability, capability, experience – but also looking towards the future as well.
“I know it’s not the best answer in the world, because it doesn’t give a steer of which direction we may be going in, but it’s the real answer, which is that’s pretty much what we’re analysing at the minute.”
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Last month, four-time reigning world champion Verstappen endorsed his former teammate as an option for Cadillac.
“Checo has always been very strong,” Verstappen said.
“Of course, he had some difficult moments with us, but as long as he has the motivation to race, I think he is a very good choice, especially for a new team.
“If you look at his performances at Force India and Racing Point, you will see that he always scored good points there.”
The F1 season resumes on August 31 with the Dutch Grand Prix.