Sergio Perez signed his 2026 Cadillac contract after he heard one Max Verstappen interview

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Max Verstappen set a benchmark that Sergio Perez found impossible to reach at Red Bull. But he may also have helped him get back onto the F1 grid.

Verstappen outqualified Perez 77-13 during their four seasons as teammates, and also won the race head-to-head 79-11. Red Bull felt the performance disparity between their two drivers was simply too great, and u-turned on their decision to keep the Mexican for 2025.

But Verstappen has since thrashed Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda even more comprehensively. Before the summer break, he scored 187 points – his two teammates have combined for seven.

Thus, Perez’s reputation within the F1 paddock has changed. Many believe that Red Bull have a fundamental problem with their second car, and that their 2021 signing was perhaps treated too harshly.

The 35-year-old was announced as one of Cadillac’s first F1 drivers on Tuesday alongside Valtteri Bottas.

Sergio Perez watched Max Verstappen ‘very closely’ in F1 driver market

Perez has been linked with Cadillac ever since he lost his Red Bull seat last December. But it was over eight months before he signed the contract.

A report from ESPN explains why. Having decided that he wanted to return to F1, Perez monitored the driver market ‘very closely’.

Reigning world champion Verstappen was at the centre of it. He had a performance-based exit clause in his contract that could have facilitated a move to Mercedes, with Toto Wolff publicly confirming that talks were taking place.

Had Verstappen moved, it could have ‘opened up all kinds of opportunities’ for Perez. The domino effect would have had echoes of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari transfer.

Alpine also held talks with Perez, but he expected more offers if Verstappen sent the market into chaos. However, the Dutchman confirmed in the media pen before the Hungarian Grand Prix that he would remain at Red Bull for 2026.

Perez knew at that stage that Cadillac and Alpine were the only realistic options, and he committed to the former. The terms of his deal were finalised before the summer break.

What Max Verstappen said about Sergio Perez joining Cadillac

Intriguingly, ESPN also reveal that Perez was contacted by at least two teams over potential 2027 vacancies. Their line-ups were locked in for next year, but they had identified the 2011 debutant as a long-term option.

Perez was effectively out of sync with the driver market because most of the field signed multi-year deals last season. It would have been risky to sit out for another year, particularly with a firm offer on the table.

Cadillac staff cheered and applauded when Perez and Bottas were announced, which highlights how the narrative has changed. Axed at the end of last season, they’re now seen as star signings who still have plenty to give in F1.

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

Speaking in a press conference earlier this year, Verstappen explained why Perez would be ‘a very good choice’ for Cadillac.

“Checo has always been very strong,” he said. “Of course, he had some difficult moments with us, but as long as he has the motivation to race, I think he is a very good choice, especially for a new team.

“If you look at his performances at Force India, and Racing Point, you will see that he always scored good points there.”