Despite the difficulties faced by Cadillac in its debut in Formula 1, Sergio Pérez does not plan to leave the American project and confirms his presence in 2027.
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Sergio Pérez has no intention of turning his back on Cadillac after only one season. While some rumors had recently mentioned a possible departure of the Mexican, he took advantage of the Dutch Grand Prix to definitively clarify his contractual situation.
Back in Formula 1 this season with the new team supported by General Motors, Pérez committed for two years. He will therefore still be behind the wheel of a Cadillac in 2027.
At 36, the six-time Grand Prix winner mainly assures he wants to be involved long-term in a project he now partly considers his own.
Pérez confirms his contract for 2027
Speculations about the Mexican’s future were notably born from a rumor sending him to Williams.
Pérez could have become an option if Alex Albon or, more likely, Carlos Sainz decided to leave Grove. But this hypothesis never really gained traction and both Williams drivers have since extended their commitment with the team.
Asked at Zandvoort, Pérez therefore recalled that his future was already set since his arrival at Cadillac.
“For my part, things were already clear when I arrived here. It was a two-year contract,” he explains.
But the Mexican insists: he is not staying only because a contract obliges him to.
“Obviously, this is what I want.”
“I consider this my project”
Cadillac is nevertheless going through particularly difficult beginnings in Formula 1. The American team is still searching for its first points and still has to solve several teething problems.
Pérez notably came very close to unlocking the team’s points at Monaco. He crossed the finish line in tenth position before a penalty ultimately dropped him down the order.
Despite these difficulties, the former Red Bull driver believes he has an important role to play in the building of the team.
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“I consider this my project and I want to be part of Cadillac in the long term, because when you build something from scratch, it takes a lot of time.”
A statement that shows his willingness not to simply use Cadillac as a stepping stone to extend his Formula 1 career.
Cadillac is already making major changes
The American team does not hide its desire to accelerate its progress. Dan Towriss, general manager of Cadillac, recently made a strong decision by parting ways with Graeme Lowdon, who had been leading the project since its beginnings.
Marcin Budkowski was appointed to succeed him with the mission to correct several operational weaknesses observed since the start of the season.
Cadillac notably needs to improve its reliability, with brake problems that have regularly complicated the team’s weekends.
For Pérez, these changes mainly show that the team refuses to be satisfied with its current situation and is looking for the necessary solutions to progress.
Pérez is already considering extending beyond 2027
The most interesting part of the Mexican’s statements concerns however the future. His current contract ties him to Cadillac until the end of next season, but Pérez already seems open to an additional extension.
“I am really happy here and I look forward to continuing this adventure in the long term,” he says.
“I think we will have some discussions later and we will see what happens.”
At 36, Pérez therefore does not seem to be considering retirement in the short term. His goal is rather to accompany Cadillac long enough to see the project start to bear fruit.
His presence in 2027 is already assured. And from what he says, Pérez could well stay at Cadillac beyond his current contract if the team continues its progress.
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