Perez joins Cadillac for debut Formula 1 season

Max Verstappen believes his former Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez will be a “very valuable” asset to Cadillac Racing as the American team prepares for its first Formula 1 season.

Contents

Perez joins Cadillac for debut Formula 1 season Max Verstappen on why Perez is valuable to Cadillac Perez’s F1 journey: From Sauber to Red Bull Max Verstappen highlights Perez’s technical experience What Perez brings to Cadillac’s F1 project Conclusion: Perez as Cadillac’s key building block

The Mexican driver, a six-time Grand Prix winner, has signed with the General Motors-backed squad alongside Valtteri Bottas. Together, the experienced pair bring a wealth of knowledge to Cadillac’s ambitious F1 project.

Max Verstappen on why Perez is valuable to Cadillac

Speaking ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Verstappen emphasized how Perez’s diverse career will help Cadillac establish itself on the grid.

“He has driven for a lot of different teams, so he knows a lot about how teams work,” Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.

“Every single team works a little differently. That’s already a very interesting trait – it’s nice to understand what people are good at or where some teams are worse.”

Perez’s F1 journey: From Sauber to Red Bull

Perez made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber, before racing for McLaren, Force India/Racing Point, and eventually Red Bull Racing, where he partnered Verstappen.

During his career, Perez has competed across:

Two eras of power units
Four generations of chassis regulations

Now, with Cadillac entering the grid, Perez will encounter his third power unit era and fifth ruleset in chassis regulations when the new 2026 rules take effect.

Max Verstappen highlights Perez’s technical experience

Max Verstappen underlined the importance of Perez’s adaptability across different car concepts and regulations.

“He’s been in a lot of different regulations, a lot of different rule sets – some things were allowed, some were not, got banned, things like that,” Verstappen said.

“To have that general understanding of how a great car is, how a car is that’s not fantastic – I think it’s very valuable for them to start with.”

According to Max Verstappen, Perez’s exposure to multiple top teams will accelerate Cadillac’s growth:

“He has worked with many big teams, so hopefully that will push them forward in the beginning, because it’s never easy to jump into Formula 1 and be competitive straight away. But we’ll see how that goes.”

What Perez brings to Cadillac’s F1 project

Vast experience across teams and regulations
Adaptability to different car behaviors
Knowledge of top-level operations from Red Bull
Race-winning pedigree and consistency

With Perez and Bottas, Cadillac begins its F1 journey with a lineup that blends skill, adaptability, and leadership.

Conclusion: Perez as Cadillac’s key building block

As Cadillac gears up for its Formula 1 debut in 2026, Verstappen’s endorsement highlights the strategic importance of Perez’s signing. His experience could provide the foundation the new team needs to compete against established giants in the sport.