– Sergio Perez would almost give his Formula 1 comeback at Cadillac a perfect score. The Mexican returned to Formula 1 with the newcomer in 2026 after taking a year off, having been dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2024 due to lack of performance.
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At Cadillac, Perez helps with his experience in building up the team, even though he has not yet scored a single season point. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with his performance. When asked to assess his performance, he replies: “It’s hard to put a number on it.”
“Of course, there are things I could have done better, so I definitely wouldn’t give a 10, but I think it’s close,” says the Mexican. “I am very satisfied with my performance since I returned.” Incidentally, the editorial team gave Perez an average score of 3.82.
Photo gallery: Budapest: Driver ratings from Marc Surer and the editorial team
He had his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who also spent a year on the sidelines, mostly under control throughout the season. Recently, however, the Finn improved and won three qualifying duels in a row, so the score is now “only” 6:5 from Perez’s perspective.
In race duels, retirements dominated the outcome, but when both finished, Perez usually had the edge.
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“I had some doubts about my return to the sport at first, but when I came back, I was really happy because I managed to prove to myself that I still belong to the best out there,” says the Cadillac driver.
Cadillac – Qualifying & Race
| Grand Prix | Perez (Q) | Bottas (Q) | Perez (R) | Bottas (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | |
| Australia | 18. | 19. (+0.639) | 16. | Retirement |
| China | 22. (+1.470) | 20. | 15. (+18.5) | 13. |
| Japan | 19. | 20. (+0.124) | 17. | 19. (+1 lap) |
| Miami | 20. (+0.338) | 19. | 16. | 18. (+1 lap) |
| Canada | 20. | 22. (+0.843) | Retirement | 16. |
| Monaco | 18. | 20. (+0.536) | 15. | Retirement |
| Barcelona | 19. | 20. (+0.212) | 14. | Retirement |
| Austria | 19. | 20. (+0.085) | Retirement | Retirement |
| Great Britain | 20. (+0.224) | 18. | 14. | 16. (+0.8) |
| Belgium | 20. (+0.148) | 19. | Retirement | 18. |
| Hungary | 22. (+0.436) | 21. | Retirement | Retirement |
“In the right environment, I can perform at a very high level, and I think I have proven that to myself. My race pace was really strong, just like my qualifying pace. It got better and better each time, and I am very satisfied.”
The veteran describes the biggest challenge as getting back into the rhythm of the Formula 1 calendar. “At first, I did a test and then got the message that I had to be in another country two days later, and two days after that in another one,” he explains.
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“When you get used to it again, you tend to forget what a Formula 1 driver’s life looks like – how stressful and tightly scheduled everything is and that you live completely by the calendar.”
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