– After the Canadian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez was extremely confident: “I’m happy that I’ve come back and proven to myself that I belong among the best,” were his words in Montreal.
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The Cadillac driver was asked about this very statement in Monaco: “If you look at my last six months at Red Bull, you wouldn’t think I belong among the best out there,” explains the 36-year-old.
“But if you understand my circumstances at the time and see the level I deliver for my team, then you realize that I belong among the best out there.”
“At the end of the day, you need the right circumstances to be able to show your talent. In that regard, I’m very happy that I’ve come back and proven that to myself. Ultimately, as a driver, you want exactly this self-confidence. As much as I struggled at Red Bull, that hurts your self-confidence.”
When asked by our sister portal Motorsport.com when Perez knew he was still competitive, the Cadillac driver mentioned his Ferrari test in November. Before the completion of its own car, the new team had the chance to test an old Ferrari car.
“In the last three or four races, my qualifying, race pace, and performance level make me feel like the speed has always been there,” explains Perez. The Cadillac driver concludes: “You think: ‘Maybe I’m the problem’ and ‘I’m not as good as I used to be.'”
“But it’s about the circumstances that surround you,” Perez summarizes.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon was asked in Monaco if he also considers Perez one of the best Formula 1 drivers in the field: “All these drivers are really good, but Checo has impressed me a lot,” were his words.
“I enjoy working with both [drivers]. They are very different characters. We demand much more from them than just driving the race car, but I am very pleased with how they commit themselves.”
“I’ve said before that we all belong together as a team, and we mean that. The drivers are a central part of the team, so it’s part of our philosophy to really support the drivers.”
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“Especially here [in Monaco], it’s a matter of confidence,” emphasizes Lowdon. “You just have to walk the track to see how difficult it is to drive a Formula 1 car here.”
“It’s about confidence, and we want the guys in the team to feel comfortable and confident. But that’s not fake. That’s how we work as a real racing team.”
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Furthermore, the team principal emphasizes: “Throughout my time in motorsport, it has been about building a proper racing team. We wear our brand with pride, but our foundation is a proper racing team where the drivers are important. And it’s important that they feel heard and supported.”
Lowdon also describes Perez’s current situation: “We see that with Checo. If you [support him], he really responds to it. And I believe that has already shown in the first races. He drives outstandingly and enjoys it.”
“Didn’t he have that duel with Fernando in Miami? It was about 15th or 16th place. But he got out of the car afterwards and said: ‘I love it, this is great.'”
“That’s what Formula 1 should be about: the on-track battles between the best drivers in the world, who also have fun doing it. So why not?”
So far, Perez has been able to perform better at Cadillac than teammate Valtteri Bottas. While the former Red Bull driver is experiencing his second spring, Bottas’s future is discussed from time to time.
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