Sergio Perez would have been looking on at what’s happening at Red Bull Racing this week with great interest after losing his seat on the grid at the end of last year.

The Formula 1 driver market is likely to be one of the more interesting talking points in the paddock during the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Max Verstappen could swap Red Bull for Mercedes, and Racing Bulls and Alpine still have to confirm their line-ups for next season.

However, Cadillac and their search for two Formula 1 drivers is one of the topics dominating conversation ahead of next season.

Sergio Perez is among the drivers who missed out on racing in F1 in 2025 and are now looking towards the American outfit for a second chance.

Cadillac have been linked with Perez for some time, with the Mexican able to bring plenty of experience and sponsorship with him should team principal Graeme Lowdon recommend his signature.

However, Perez faces a lot of competition to return to the grid with F1’s 11th team, and may have hampered his chances with one decision he’s made this season.

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Sergio Perez’s lack of F1 involvement in 2025 could hamper his Cadillac chances

A report from The Race has shared more details about Cadillac’s search for their first two Formula 1 drivers.

Valtteri Bottas has been strongly linked with Cadillac, and while Toto Wolff is pushing for Bottas to join Alpine, he’s yet to sign with either team.

It’s been reported by The Race that Bottas is more likely to be signed by Cadillac than Perez, but that Lowdon’s team is almost certainly going to line up with at least one of them.

The 25-year-old has held face-to-face meetings with Cadillac after his management conducted initial conversations, but ‘Perez is avoiding the F1 paddock’ right now.

Cadillac do not want to field a Formula 1 rookie if they don’t have to, which works in Perez’s favour, but the team are also placing value in those drivers keeping their skills sharp in the sport.

This is said to be a potential ‘hurdle’ for the Mexican, as Perez has lost touch with F1 since his Red Bull payout at the end of last year.

He has raced in F1 more recently than the likes of Daniel Ricciardo or Mick Schumacher, and has extensive experience, but is not as in tune with the current goings-on in the paddock as Bottas or Zhou Guanyu.

Does signing Sergio Perez next season make sense for Cadillac?

Cadillac are spoilt for choice with their potential driver options, even if the chances of signing a current F1 star are seen as unlikely.

Yuki Tsunoda has been suggested as an option for Cadillac should he lose his Red Bull seat, and it would be interesting to see where he would sit on their shortlist if he became available.

However, Tsunoda and Liam Lawson’s struggles at Red Bull this year have only served to improve Perez’s reputation.

Things ended badly for him at Red Bull, but he appears set to finish far higher than Tsunoda or Lawson in the drivers’ championship during his final stint alongside Max Verstappen than either driver.

Bottas has jumped ahead of Perez in Cadillac’s thinking, and if they end up only going for one experienced driver, then his chances of ever returning to Formula 1 look slim.

However, he will have plenty to prove if he does come back, and the support of millions of Mexicans waiting for him at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.