For a very long time, Sergio “Checo” Perez was F1’s known quantity, a reliable, resilient racer from Guadalajara who could consistently extract performance from nearly any machine he piloted. But as the 35-year-old Mexican star gears up for his highly anticipated return to the grid with the newly formed Cadillac team in 2026, the question is not if he will drive, but which version of the beloved veteran will appear: the ‘Prime Perez’ of his Force India days, the occasional race-winning ‘Peak Perez’ of Red Bull, or the ‘Terrible Trough’ driver who struggled with form and motivation in his final year at Milton Keynes?
Perez’s return is the culmination of a pivotal year out of the spotlight, a necessary hiatus after his career at Red Bull Racing came to an unceremonious close at the end of 2024, paving the way for Liam Lawson. For 14 continuous years, Perez lived within the relentless ‘F1 circus’ since his debut in 2011. The forced sabbatical in 2025, a result of being paid out of his final year with Red Bull, was, in his own words, a “dream scenario” for the much-needed “refreshment.”
The Necessary Reset and the Red Bull Reckoning
Married with four children, Perez admitted he didn’t realize how much he needed the break until it was upon him. His year was spent prioritizing family, enjoying simple pleasures, and fulfilling ambassadorial roles with major partners like KitKat, Heineken, Patron, and Nescafé, alongside investing in Miami real estate. This time away, following the career paths of F1 longevity champions like Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen, was perhaps the career elongation move Perez needed to ensure his final F1 stint is his most motivated.
However, the break also provided the necessary distance for Perez to reflect on his turbulent four-year run at Red Bull. And his subsequent comments have been explosive.
Perez offered a powerful, unvarnished insight into the pressure cooker environment that contributed to his demise at the top team, suggesting deep-seated issues that went beyond a simple gap in performance to his teammate, Max Verstappen. He boldly claimed that deep down, Red Bull was “very sorry” for cutting his contract, a revelation he attributed to a “very good source.”
More tellingly, Perez pointed to the high-profile departures within the team, namely legendary chief technical officer Adrian Newey and long-serving Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley, as the catalyst for the implosion of his campaign. “Many more problems began when Adrian left, then Jonathan Wheatley left, who was a fundamental part of the team,” Perez stated. “There was a lot of pressure on my side of the garage. It was putting a lot of pressure on the engineers, on everyone involved, and I think in the end that ended up costing us a lot.”
This suggests that his struggle was not just a driver problem, but a symptom of increasing instability and pressure that eventually created a demotivating and untenable atmosphere. By his own admission, the last six months at Red Bull were “very difficult,” leading to a feeling of “demotivation with the sport.” It is a sentiment that must be rectified, as he stated that the day he leaves the sport, he wants to do so “with a big smile.”
The Red Bull Curse: Was Checo a Victim?
It is an inescapable truth that for 90% of fans, Perez’s legacy will be, fairly or unfairly, defined as “the guy who got slapped up by Max Verstappen every weekend.” While the average qualifying gap to his teammate—nearly half a second in 2023—was significant and contributed to his eventual exit, it is crucial to place Perez’s struggles within the larger context of the “cursed” second Red Bull seat.
As the transcript highlights, the team has historically been a career graveyard for immensely talented drivers. Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, both drivers who went on to thrive at other teams after their Red Bull ejection, endured similar fates. Even Liam Lawson, who replaced Perez, and Yuki Tsunoda, in the sister team, have shown moments of brilliance outside of the direct Red Bull hierarchy. The reality is that the second seat, facing the insurmountable comparison to a generational talent like Verstappen, simply does not represent the true quality of the driver who occupies it.
Perez did, however, have his highs at Red Bull, moments that proved his quality was far from diminished. He was the vital wingman in 2021, helping Max secure his first title in Abu Dhabi and stalling Lewis Hamilton’s charge in Turkey. He secured career-defining victories in 2022 (Singapore and Monaco) and came flying out of the gates in 2023 with wins in Saudi Arabia and Baku, briefly leading the championship. Even his weakest season in 2024 began with four podiums in the first five rounds. But these isolated sparks of brilliance were ultimately not enough to sustain his career in the demanding, high-pressure environment.
The Return to His Roots: The 2020 Redemption Blueprint
To understand the promise of the 2026 Cadillac era, one must look beyond the confines of Red Bull and back to the years of 2014 to 2020 at Force India and Racing Point. This era was the golden proof of Perez’s consistent, high-quality driving. He executed on every chance presented, consistently outperforming the car’s resources. While his teammate Nico Hulkenberg remained famously podium-less for years, Perez collected five podiums during that same period.
The ultimate blueprint for his Cadillac rebirth, however, lies in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. In his final season with the team, Perez was already unceremoniously dropped in favor of Sebastian Vettel, with no confirmed seat for the following year. With his back against the wall, Perez was spun out on the very first lap, dropping to the very back of the field. What followed was a masterful recovery drive, culminating in his first-ever F1 win, a victory seized in the most dramatic fashion.
That performance epitomizes the “chip on his shoulder” mentality that Cadillac is banking on. Perez is a driver who thrives on being counted out, using pressure as fuel for a legendary redemption arc.
The Cadillac Unknown
Cadillac’s 2026 entry into F1 presents a clean slate, a genuine unknown quantity. Starting a team completely from scratch is a monumental undertaking, something F1 hasn’t seen in ages. While the team has the backing of General Motors and will be powered by a Ferrari power unit, they will initially be operating as a small-scale, lower-budget competitor. The hope is for a rebirth of “Perez circa 2020 Racing”—outperforming relative to the competition, maximizing every opportunity a nascent team can offer.
Perez will be paired with another seasoned veteran, Valtteri Bottas. While Bottas is currently more “prepared,” having maintained a test and reserve role with Mercedes-powered teams during 2025, Perez’s year off has paradoxically allowed him more time to interact with and test for Cadillac, giving him a head-start on team integration.
Perez’s inherent qualities as a “tire whisperer” and a master of slow-speed corner tracks—the exact conditions where he typically comes alive—will be invaluable. His vast experience (26 years of combined experience across Sauber, McLaren, Force India, Red Bull, etc.) will pay dividends for a fledgling team building its foundation.
The ultimate pressure is finally off. No longer does he have to worry about a fractional gap to the greatest driver of his generation. Instead, he faces a different kind of pressure: the weight of an entire nation and the desire to write the final chapter of his career on his own terms. While it is highly unlikely he will get the time to see Cadillac rise to the very top, he can certainly prove to the world that he is far from “washed.” A refreshed Sergio Perez, fueled by a genuine desire for redemption and operating with a freedom he hasn’t felt in years, is poised to remind the world why he was, and can still be, one of the most exciting and accomplished drivers on the grid.