Pérez gives details on F1 return – Sergio Pérez eyes 2026 return after Red Bull exit: ‘I won’t come back at any cost’ – Following a disappointing 2024 season, Sergio Pérez has lost his place on the Formula 1 grid for the 2025 season. Red Bull Racing has ended his tenure with the team, marking a bitter and abrupt end to what had once seemed a promising partnership. While Max Verstappen powered to his fourth world title in the same RB20 chassis, Pérez struggled to keep pace, collecting just eight points in the final stages of the season.
This stark contrast in performance sealed his fate. Despite signing a contract extension earlier in the year, Red Bull’s decision to part ways with him was swift and ruthless. Pérez’s dismissal has left him without a drive for next season, yet his name continues to feature prominently in discussions about the 2026 driver market.
No F1 seat for 2025 — but eyes set on the future
Although the Mexican veteran will not be on the grid in 2025, Pérez insists that his Formula 1 journey may not be over. Speaking on the Desde el Paddock podcast, he was candid about his ambitions and what he is willing to accept.
“Yes, I want to,” Perez said. “The answer is yes, I want to come back, but only if the right project comes along. A project in which I feel I belong.”
“I don’t want to come back at any cost. I’m not interested in travelling the world as a third driver or just waiting for an opportunity. I feel lucky for the career I’ve had, and I want to come back because I don’t want my career to end like this. But I’m also perfectly aware that I’ll only come back if it’s really worthwhile: 24 races and a whole life dedicated to this sport.”
The six-time Grand Prix winner has made it clear that any return will depend not just on a vacant seat, but also on the quality and vision of the team offering it.
Cadillac and Alpine are in the frame
One of the most intriguing options for Pérez is Cadillac, the all-new team backed by General Motors and set to join Formula 1 in 2026. Initially viewed as a leading candidate for the project, Pérez’s name has since been eclipsed in the rumour mill by Valtteri Bottas, whose experience and consistency are also being considered by the American team.
However, sources close to the team suggest that Pérez remains in contention, especially if Cadillac ultimately opts for a double veteran lineup to provide stability in its formative years.
Meanwhile, Alpine is another potential landing spot. The French team is enduring a turbulent transition period, with only one seat confirmed for 2025. Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto, the two young drivers linked to the team’s future, are still considered inexperienced at the highest level. Alpine’s leadership may yet turn to an experienced driver to help rebuild the team.
Pérez himself acknowledged the uncertainty of the market, but indicated that conversations are ongoing. “Things are progressing well, but I think it’s still early in the season,” he noted. “With time, everything will become clearer, and I’ll be able to make a final decision. I’m in no rush — I know I won’t be racing in Formula 1 this year, so we’ll see what the future holds for me.”
A career of persistence and pride
Sergio Pérez’s path through Formula 1 has been anything but smooth. After breaking into the sport with Sauber and nearly joining Ferrari in his early years, his move to McLaren in 2013 quickly turned sour. He then rebuilt his reputation at Force India, consistently outperforming expectations and earning a reputation as one of the most dependable and opportunistic drivers on the grid.
It was at Racing Point — the rebranded successor to Force India — that Pérez scored his first win, triumphing in Bahrain in 2020 after an impressive drive from the back of the grid. This victory helped him secure a seat at Red Bull, a dream move that provided him with access to race-winning machinery, but which also came with intense internal pressure as Verstappen’s teammate.
Pérez’s time at Red Bull will ultimately be remembered as a mixed bag. He scored multiple wins, helped the team secure constructors’ points and played a pivotal supporting role in Verstappen’s early dominance. However, his inconsistent performances in 2023 and 2024, coupled with Red Bull’s exacting standards, ultimately led to his departure.
Nevertheless, Perez is proud of what he has achieved and has a clear vision for any future venture.
“If you look back at my years at Force India and then later at Red Bull, you’ll see that I grew the team race after race until it became a winning team. That’s exactly the kind of environment I’m looking for,” he explained. “A team with that mindset and unity. For me, that’s more important than any trophy or achievement: finding a project where the driver feels truly motivated.”
An Unfinished Chapter?
For now, Pérez steps away from the grid with no guarantees. He’s not interested in a token third-driver role, nor in waiting on the sidelines without a clear path forward. Instead, he’ll wait and see — closely watching the development of Cadillac, Alpine, and any other team bold enough to think long-term.
There’s no bitterness in his voice, just a quiet resolve. He has nothing left to prove, but he still has something to fight for: an ending on his own terms.
In a sport known for consuming talent and discarding it, Sergio Pérez remains standing — not yet in a cockpit, but not yet finished. The question now is whether Formula 1 will offer him the kind of project he’s looking for. If so, the paddock may not have seen the last of the driver once known as the ‘Mexican Minister of Defence’.
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