Sergio Perez on his Experiences at Red Bull and What it Means for his Future in the Sport!

With Perez set to return, many are looking forward to seeing how he performs at his new team, Cadillac. In recent weeks, Perez has spoken out about the difficulties associated with being the teammate of the former World Champion at Red Bull Racing (ESPN Internet Ventures, 2026). 

(Image Credits to Israa lhab)

Cadillac F1 Team is one of two new constructors joining the grid in 2026, with Audi taking over Sauber and meaning the grid will be extended to 22 championship contenders. With no shortage of excitement at the culmination of the 2025 season, where fans saw a three-way battle going into the final race of the season, 2026 is already packing its own level of excitement. With new regulations set to come into play, new teams, and the return of former drivers, this season is sure to be one to remember. 

In a recent interview, Perez spoke about his experience with Red Bull Racing and with being Verstappen's teammate. Specifically, Perez cited the difficulties associated with being a Red Bull driver in the era of Verstappen dominance (Mitchell-Malm, 2026). During the interview, it was stated that it never mattered how he was performing at the team, as there were always tensions (Mitchell-Malm, 2026). Perez stated the team was both concerned when Perez outperformed his teammate and that there were concerns when he significantly underperformed compared to his teammate (Mitchell-Malm, 2026). 

Red Bull has consistently struggled with the second seat of the team, with several drivers on the current grid having experienced participating as the second driver to Max Verstappen. Most recently, Yuki Tsunoda was demoted to Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bull’s, after replacing Liam Lawson. Perez’s comments point to a lack of clarity surrounding the role and expectations of the second driver, making it difficult for drivers to reach the undefined standard. 

While these struggles have defined fan perceptions surrounding Perez, they may have also just built up an important and healthy resilience for the returning driver. Primarily, Perez is now in a position to build up from a poor performance in 2024 with a debut team in the sport, which provides a perfect setting to ease back into the sport. Furthermore, the constant pressure he faced as a Red Bull driver may have helped build up his mental resilience to criticism and underperformance. Finally, the team dynamic at Red Bull appears to have instilled some team-centred and organisational values within Perez that can help the Cadillac team succeed in their first season within the sport. 

Despite the struggles in 2024, Perez is returning to Formula 1 as part of the newest team on the grid, Cadillac. In previous interviews, he stated that he is returning to Formula 1 to enjoy the sport (Edmondson, 2025). It is difficult to quantify how Cadillac will do in their first season at this time; however, the former Red Bull driver has stated that he is looking to grow and progress with the team. Looking ahead, Cadillac is set to launch their debut livery on February 8 at the Super Bowl, with the season starting one month later on March 8 (Jackson, 2026). 

Article Written by Israa Ihab

References: 

Edmondson, L. (2025, August 25). Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez on Red Bull Exit: “Nothing to prove.” ESPN. https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/46079659/cadillac-sergio-perez-red-bull-exit-prove 

ESPN Internet Ventures. (2026, January 6). Sergio Pérez: Partnering Max Verstappen “worst job” in F1, “everything a problem.” ESPN. https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/47524594/sergio-perez-max-verstappen-red-bull-teammate-worst-job-f1-everything-problem 

Jackson, K. (2026, January 6). Sergio Perez on Red Bull stint with Max Verstappen: “it was the worst job in F1.” The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/sergio-perez-f1-max-verstappen-redbull-cadillac-2026-b2895314.html 

Mitchell-Malm, S. (2026, January 6). “whole team against you” - perez’s final Red Bull digs. The Race. https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/sergio-perez-final-red-bull-f1-criticisms-explained/