Sergio Pérez has not signed with any Formula 1 team, nor with Cadillac, at least not yet. And that could cause the only option he currently has on the table to return to competition in 2026 to fall apart.
Sergio Pérez loses his seat at Cadillac, probably his only option to return to F1
What seemed imminent a few weeks ago has now been put on hold by the driver himself, who has paused negotiations with the new team that will be joining the grid. The winner of six Grand Prix races and 39 podium finishes has been stringing along the team’s executives. It was well known that the American General Motors group had been in talks with several drivers in addition to the Mexican.
However, if his arrival does not materialize, this would also be bad news for both parties. Both Cadillac and Pérez seemed keen to join forces, above all because of the ties that bind them as part of the American plan. But for now, that does not seem likely to happen. And if there are no major changes in the coming weeks, the Mexican may have closed the only door he had to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
The Mexican is not satisfied with not having a car that is capable of being in podium position or regularly in the points.
At the time, Sergio Pérez already warned that he would take at least six months to decide whether he would return and with whom, as stated in the interview he gave to F1 itself at the beginning of this world championship. Similarly, before that, he had already spoken about his future. He had made it clear that he did not intend to drive for a team that had no chance of fighting for points. And Cadillac clearly will not be that team.
A few weeks ago, during the Monaco Grand Prix, reports from Mexico suggested that the former Red Bull driver was keeping his options open within Formula 1. And, as we said in GRADA3, the Mexican was not only considering Cadillac, which, as a rookie in 2026, is not expected to be particularly competitive. His absence from the Miami Grand Prix, where the American team made its official presentation, would be a sign that the Guadalajara native’s incorporation is slowly fading away.
What ‘Checo’ Pérez has shown is that Cadillac does not currently have the arguments to convince him, let alone a car with which he can aspire to the podium every weekend. At best, he can hope for points in the middle of the grid. Of course, for a debutant team, that would be quite a feat. Just ask Haas, which debuted in Australia in 2016, finishing sixth and scoring points in seven more Grand Prix races, eight in total, and earning 29 points. With this, the Mexican makes it clear that what he is looking for is the team that best answers one question: “Why return?”
Sergio Pérez warned that he was going to take his time, but Cadillac is eager to sign at least one driver.
With all this in mind, Sergio Pérez is considering giving an answer after the summer, in August… but Cadillac has said no. The team led by Maro Andretti and Graeme Lowdon as team principal has already told the former Red Bull, Racing Point, Force India, McLaren, and Sauber driver that they want to have their first driver confirmed by the end of June or, at the latest, in July. They cannot waste any more time, as 2026 is shaping up to be a real challenge that no one knows how it will play out.
They want to do it as soon as possible so they can start getting the feedback they need to really understand what it will be like to have a driver with his characteristics and offer his point of view on such new and changing regulations as those for next season.
This is where, although the main candidate for that first seat is Sergio Pérez, if they fail to sign the Mexican, Valtteri Bottas is another big fish on the market, this year occupying only the reserve seat at Mercedes. “I think they have several drivers on their list. I imagine my experience will be useful, as I have competed for three different teams, one of which was hugely successful. We also achieved excellent results with Williams, so I hope to be in a good position.”
Bottas and Colton Hertha on the agenda
Meanwhile, the Cadillac executive reiterated how the battle is shaping up on the other side of the garage, insisting that they will look for an American driver. “We are trying to have a driver of this nationality, but it is not entirely clear yet. We are still working on it, but you have to earn the position, and you have to deserve it.”
However, Mario Andretti knows that it will not be easy to find an American driver with a distinguished track record in Formula 1: “But if it were possible, we would love to start with an American, who probably wouldn’t be that experienced.” Among the candidates for that seat is Colton Hertha, an American driver who currently races in IndyCar. He is 25 years old and one of the great talents in the United States. However, he has not managed to stand out, not even in the aforementioned championship.
Even so, Herta’s talent, combined with his popularity among American fans, would be a key factor in Cadillac’s announcement for the 2026 F1 season. Is this the end of the road for Sergio Pérez in the ‘Big Circus’? The 35-year-old driver has experience in 281 Grand Prix races, winning six times and finishing on the podium 39 times.