Cadillac bosses have already made the exact same mistake as Christian Horner with Sergio Perez’s contract

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Sergio Perez has officially become one of Cadillac’s drivers for their debut Formula 1 season. Perez returns to the sport after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of last season.

The Mexican previously boasted an excellent record while driving for midfield teams. He finished in the top 10 in the standings seven times in eight seasons with Sauber and Force India/Racing Point.

Those years included 10 podium finishes and even a victory in Sakhir (2020). Cadillac will be hoping to recapture the magic that saw him crack the world championship top four in his final year at Racing Point.

Perez will partner Valtteri Bottas, who was once a rival at Mercedes. Bottas has been the reserve driver for the Silver Arrows this year after losing his Sauber seat.

Cadillac may regret giving Sergio Perez a long-term contract like Red Bull

According to Autosport, the length of Perez’s contract was ‘a key point of discussion’ during negotiations. Cadillac’s driver search has taken longer than many expected, though the team have insisted there was no rush.

The outcome is that Perez has ‘accepted’ a multi-year deal, guaranteeing him the 2026 and 2027 seasons. There’s also an option for 2028.

In June 2024, Red Bull gave Perez a two-year extension (50% guaranteed) and later came to regret it. By the end of the year, they felt his position was untenable and ended up paying him off.

Red Bull had to pay Perez over £15m to walk away, and while his Cadillac salary isn’t yet known, one could argue that they haven’t learned from Christian Horner’s mistake.

• READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

As outlined above, Perez previously had an excellent record in the midfield. But equally, it’s been five years since he performed well consistently.

It was also clear that he took a psychological beating during his final year at Red Bull as he failed to score points in five out of 10 races after the summer break. Replacement Liam Lawson did make Perez look better, as has Yuki Tsunoda.

Still, given the present uncertainty around the Mexican, it would have been wiser to give him a one-year deal, perhaps with performance-based options. Perez won the negotiating battle, and perhaps his suitors have overcommitted.

Did Alpine reject Sergio Perez before he reached Cadillac agreement?

The structure of Perez’s contract is even more surprising when one considers that he didn’t have another offer on the table. It seems Cadillac were the only team willing to give him another shot in F1.

Indeed, one journalist said Alpine ‘didn’t want to know’ about signing Perez, suggesting that particular rumour was driver-led. The Enstone outfit have been looking at possible replacements for the struggling Franco Colapinto.

Alongside Perez, there are also questions around Bottas. The Finn was the lowest-ranking full-time driver in his final season at Sauber.

He was in the slowest car on the grid, of course, but Zhou Guanyu scored the team’s only points and came close to matching Bottas in the Sunday head-to-head (11-8). Zhou was one of the drivers Cadillac rejected for a 2026 seat.