How Sergio Perez is already using his time at Red Bull to help his new F1 team Cadillac

Follow us on Google Discover

Ahead of his return to F1 alongside Cadillac’s official entry to the grid next season, Sergio Perez has been trying to aid his new team’s progress by utilising his past experience at Red Bull.

The six-time Grand Prix winner is set to race alongside Valtteri Bottas for the American constructor next season after Cadillac announced their long-awaited debut F1 line-up in August.

Both drivers have brought with them a vast amount of experience to the new entry, which will no doubt help the team in building their very first F1 challenger.

Perez is optimistic about Cadillac’s chances in their maiden season, a sentiment that is not held by everybody in the F1 paddock. Williams team principal James Vowles is adamant that the new constructor will struggle.

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas shares what has surprised him about ‘impressive’ Cadillac after factory visit

Sergio Perez’s feedback has been paramount in helping Cadillac reach their goals ahead of the 2026 F1 season

Since his return to the F1 grid was confirmed a couple of months ago, Perez has been doing ‘invaluable’ simulator work at Cadillac, which has allowed them to understand how well their tools are currently working.

In a post-race review of the Singapore Grand Prix on the Only Drivers YouTube channel, F1 journalist Diego Mejia revealed a bit more information on how the Mexican driver is settling into his new team.

Asked if Perez is feeling motivated ahead of his return, the journalist replied, “Motivated, no doubt. That’s why he decided to come back, after this year that has allowed him to see life in a different way, and surely to see his career also with a different perspective.

“The motivation, without a doubt, he has it at 100%. He’s spent hours in meetings, getting to know people, etc. Trying to give his feedback so that the tools the team has now are as close as possible to what he knew from his time at Red Bull, where he achieved his best results in Formula 1.

“And yes, trying to make things flow faster than they have so far, trying to help the team shorten the path and be as ready as possible for the start of the project on track because, as he has said, what’s important is not where they start, but where they finish and how much they progress.”

The 35-year-old is taking his return to the grid extremely seriously, in a potential attempt to get one over on his former employers, Red Bull, for the way he was ousted from his seat at the end of 2024.

READ MORE: Cadillac now look set to sign rival F1 team’s ‘incredible’ talent to be Sergio Perez’s 2026 reserve

Red Bull have been tipped to struggle as much as Cadillac next year by Ted Kravitz

Along with the new entry next year, the F1 grid will also be shaken up by a new set of regulations that will see a complete overhaul of the power units and chassis.

For the first time in their 20-year history, Red Bull are developing their own engine entirely in-house through their Red Bull Powertrains division in collaboration with Ford.

The new development path is sure to be a difficult one, which is why Ted Kravitz believes Red Bull will struggle as much as Cadillac in the first season under the new regulations next year.

Cadillac will be sourcing power units from Ferrari in their maiden season, which will mean that a big chunk of the puzzle that is their 2026 F1 car will already be completed.

What remains for the American constructor is being able to harmonise the power unit with the chassis that they are building themselves.

This step is crucial in withdrawing the maximum amount of potential from their debut challenger.