What the ‘feeling in the paddock’ is about Sergio Perez’s time at Red Bull after signing with Cadillac

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Sergio Perez will make his much-anticipated return to Formula 1 in 2026 after signing for Cadillac.

Valtteri Bottas will join Perez at F1’s 11th team next season after signing contracts until at least 2027. The pair dropped off the grid at the end of 2024 after their exits from Red Bull and Sauber respectively.

While Bottas has stayed in F1 as Mercedes’ reserve driver, his Cadillac teammate has spent 2025 away from the paddock and any other motorsport discipline. His time at Red Bull was tumultuous, to say the least.

Much like Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, the Mexican struggled to compete alongside Max Verstappen, winning just two races in 2023, while his teammate claimed 19 victories in the same car.

Perez’s form got even worse in 2024 as he did not finish on the podium after Shanghai – the fifth race of the season – or in the top five after the following round in Miami. Despite this, Red Bull offered him a contract extension until 2026, which did not improve his troubles.

‘Feeling in the paddock’ has grown that Red Bull did not help Sergio Perez enough

After scoring just 21 points in the final 10 races of 2024, the 35-year-old was released from his contract. Red Bull had to pay Perez £15m to terminate his deal, which was more than what was previously reported.

The Mexican had been complaining about the car’s sensitive nature and tricky setup, but his concerns were ignored. After all, teammate Verstappen won the championship in the same machine.

However, his warnings to Red Bull have been proven correct as Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have desperately struggled to adapt and perform in the RB21. The second car has scored just seven points all season, with Verstappen’s tally single-handedly keeping them in the top four.

Perez knows Red Bull regret how they treated him in his final few months with the team. As a report from ESPN notes, his ‘reputation took a battering’ in the last 18 months of his tenure, with many unaware that the machine he was driving was a key factor in his poor results.

After seeing Red Bull’s woes continue in the second car with other drivers, there is now a growing ‘feeling in the paddock’ that the Milton Keynes outfit did not help Perez enough. They are feeling the repercussions with Tsunoda in 2025, while Perez embarks on a new challenge with Cadillac.

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

Cadillac gained full ‘confidence’ in signing Sergio Perez after watching Red Bull in 2025

Soon after his Red Bull exit, Cadillac engaged talks with Perez, singling him out as a top candidate. But, understandably, they had some doubts about the Mexican, given his torrid form on paper.

However, after realising the issues he was having with the car and seeing Lawson and Tsunoda’s woes this season, Cadillac gained full ‘confidence’ in Perez. They believe that he can revive his career at Silverstone.

Perez is excited by Cadillac’s project as he looks to take the lead and help deliver their car into a competitive machine. Alongside Bottas, the American outfit have two experienced heads and proven race winners; exactly what they need.

Perez thinks he will ‘work well’ with Bottas as they are both ‘very hungry’ to make a comeback to the F1 grid. The former Red Bull and Mercedes rivals will be keen to get off to a strong start under the sport’s new technical regulations.