As Sergio Pérez prepares to return to Formula 1 in 2026 with Cadillac, his former teammate Max Verstappen congratulated him and said the Mexican’s difficult last season at Red Bull does not define what he can do.
Earlier this week, Perez and ex-Sauber and Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas were announced as Cadillac’s driver duo for 2026 when the American-based outfit joins as F1’s eleventh team.
Perez had a difficult final season with Red Bull following a downturn in form and was cut out of his two-year contract at the end of 2024. But following Tuesday’s announcement, he said he has “nothing to prove” when he rejoins the grid next year.
Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen told a news conference on Thursday he was “very happy” for Perez.
“When I saw the news come out, I sent a message to him. I’m, of course, very happy for him that he got a seat. He’s a great guy, and we always got along very well … I’m happy to see him back on the grid.
“How he’s going to perform will also depend on how good the car is going to be. It’s a bit difficult to say at the moment, but it’s a new opportunity and I’m sure he’s very excited for it.”
Of his 14 years on the F1 grid, Perez’s results boast six race wins, 39 podiums and three pole positions — the majority with Red Bull, including his best season in 2023 where he finished second to his teammate who took his third world title.
Verstappen, when asked if he believed Perez could get back to his best form, said: “Yeah, I mean, it’s a fresh start now. I think it’s not about one half of a season — that doesn’t define what you can do. I think he’s also quite easy in that.
“Some people maybe dwell on it a bit more, but for Checo [Perez], it’s a new start. You’re excited — new cars, completely new cars also. He has shown a lot of great things, even before he got to Red Bull, and during the Red Bull times. So just go in there, enjoy it again, and have a good time.”
The Dutchman added: “He has driven for a lot of different teams, so he knows a lot about how teams work. 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. That’s how it goes. Also, the behaviour of cars — 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. So, yeah, 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.
“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.”
