Sergio Perez does not just bring his experience as a driver to Cadillac, the Mexican also uses his vast network in the paddock to identify and recommend potential reinforcements.
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After many years spent in F1, Pérez knows a large part of the engineers, mechanics, and managers who make up the paddock.
Over the course of his career at Sauber, McLaren, Force India/Racing Point, then Red Bull, he has worked with many profiles likely to interest Cadillac today.
Pérez advises, but does not decide
The arrival of an eleventh team has mechanically created new opportunities for technical staff, but Cadillac must convince experienced specialists to leave already well-established structures.
Pérez therefore tries to facilitate some contacts: “Obviously, I know a lot of very good people. I have been in this paddock for a long time,” he explains in the podcast Beyond the Grid. I have tried to bring some people, of course, but you also have to know your place. I am not the one making decisions about the people we recruit.”
The Mexican insists that recruitment is not his responsibility. However, he does not hesitate to pass on certain names when he believes a former colleague could bring something to the project: “It’s not my role. But I obviously try to have some influence and tell the team: ‘I think this guy would be a good recruit if he came,’ and so on.”
The experienced Pérez mainly notes that Cadillac is gradually becoming more attractive to members of other teams: “All I can see is that interest in Cadillac in the paddock is constantly increasing. And that is something positive for a Formula 1 team.”
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Cadillac also wants to learn from GM
This interest could prove decisive. Unlike structures present for several decades, Cadillac does not yet have the same collective experience or processes refined over the seasons. Recruiting people who have already worked in successful teams is therefore a way to accelerate its development.
In this context, Pérez’s experience is not limited to his technical feedback on the car: his direct knowledge of people available on the market can also help Cadillac build its organization. For example, the experienced engineer Paul Monaghan is announced to be leaving Red Bull Racing where “Checo” worked with him. However, he believes Cadillac should not only seek inspiration from other Formula 1 teams. The involvement of General Motors also offers an important reservoir of knowledge from other motorsport categories.
The Mexican driver assures that exchanges have already allowed the team to learn some lessons: “I really believe in GM’s organization because it is a manufacturer that has always been involved in motorsport. And the level of competitiveness in the United States is extremely high. They have helped us a lot in different ways. We have been able to learn some things thanks to them. I think as a team, we have to remain open.”
The example of McLaren
For Pérez, F1 would be wrong to consider that all the best solutions necessarily come from its own environment. He notably cites the example of McLaren and its IndyCar program.
“There are a lot of things we can learn from other categories and other ways of working,” he insists. “For example, McLaren managed to gain an advantage from its IndyCar team a few years ago regarding how it worked on the car’s behavior and other elements. So there is always a possibility to progress and learn.”
The key then remains to be able to quickly transform these ideas into usable solutions on track: “As long as your mechanism is very clear and you are able to quickly bring an idea to the track, then it’s positive.”
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