Back in Formula 1 with Cadillac, Sergio Pérez believes the foundations are solid, but now demands an acceleration of development to take a step forward.
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After a season spent away from the tracks, Sergio Pérez returned to Formula 1 in 2026 by joining the brand new Cadillac project. The challenge is immense: building a team from scratch while facing the best teams in the world.
While the Mexican driver is satisfied with the first months of this adventure, he believes the time has come to accelerate. According to him, Cadillac must now reach a new level in terms of development if it wants to make lasting progress.
An encouraging start to the season despite the difficulties
Pérez knew from the start that the first few months would be complicated.
Building a new team, setting up infrastructure, and developing a competitive single-seater naturally required time. Despite this, Cadillac has already shown some promising signs, such as the Mexican’s performance in Monaco, where he came very close to scoring the team’s first point in history before a penalty ruined his hopes.
For the 36-year-old driver, the first few months remain positive nonetheless.
“The start of the season has been very good.”
The winner of six Grands Prix explains that the entire team is still learning to work together.
“We are building the foundations with the team. We are discovering a lot of things, which is normal for a new structure.”
Pérez is also satisfied with his own performance.
“I think I have managed to perform at a good level.”
A team driven by the same ambition
After several seasons spent playing leading roles at Red Bull, some might have imagined that Pérez would struggle to accept now fighting at the back of the grid.
The Mexican, however, assures that his motivation is intact.
According to him, what makes the Cadillac project exciting is the mindset of the entire team.
“I work with extremely competitive people, just like me.”
Pérez insists on one point: Cadillac is absolutely not satisfied with simply being present on the grid.
“We are not just here to participate. Everyone is pushing extremely hard to move the project in the right direction.”
“I want to see more performance”
Despite this collective involvement, Pérez believes Cadillac must now accelerate its development.
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The last few Grands Prix have left a bitter taste for the Mexican driver, who expects more progress.
“The last races have been difficult.”
His assessment is straightforward.
“I want to see more performance. I want to see more development. What I have seen so far is not enough.”
A strong message addressed to a team that continues to invest heavily in its future.
Development, absolute priority
Asked what Cadillac still lacks most, Pérez didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Development.”
According to him, the priority is now to improve the connection between the factory and track operations to make developments faster and more efficient.
“We need to build a structure that allows a much more direct link between the factory and the circuit. That’s what we’re missing today.”
Cadillac is currently continuing to set up several major infrastructures, including its future headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, while developing its own engine program in North Carolina.
For Pérez, these investments will eventually bear fruit. But the Mexican driver reminds us that time is running out in a championship where technical progress follows at a frantic pace.
The foundations are now laid. The challenge now is to transform this potential into concrete on-track performance, a goal Pérez deems essential to allow Cadillac to permanently leave the back of the grid.
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