Perez watching and waiting for the right F1 opportunity

Sergio Perez says he is open to returning to Formula 1 in 2026 but will only do so if he feels it’s the right project for him.

Red Bull opted to end Perez’s contract two years early over the winter, following a disappointing 2024 season alongside Max Verstappen. The Mexican said he has been sounded out by multiple constructors and RACER understands Cadillac is one team that has shown an interest in his services when it enters F1 next year.

“If I find a project that motivates me fully to come back, where the team believe in me and where they appreciate my career, my experience and everything I can bring to a team, it would be very attractive to consider it,” Perez told F1.com. “That’s why I’ve given myself at least six months to get all my options on the table and make a decision on what I do next with my career.

“There are a few very interesting projects out there. I’ve been approached by a few teams since Abu Dhabi. Right now, the season has started so a few things will open up in the coming months.

“We are talking to a few parties out there. Once I know all my options, I will make a decision. What is very clear to me is that I’m only coming back if the project makes sense, and it’s something I can enjoy.

“I’ve spent a long time in F1 already — I’ve done most of it. Once you step back, you realize how much you give up in life to be in the sport. So, to be in F1 fully committed, I need the motivation.

“It’s good to be in this position knowing that people are keen on you as a driver. People have short memories in F1. Within a couple of races, they forget what you have done. People realize that my position was not the easiest one in F1 — and I’ve done extremely well overall.

With Red Bull making a driver change after just two races of this season and swapping Perez’s replacement Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda, the 35-year-old says the situation is reminding people of the difficult car he was dealing with in recent years.

“Especially last year, I didn’t get to show what I’m able to do as a driver. Now, all of a sudden, people realize how difficult the car is to drive,” he said. “When I joined Red Bull, there had been great drivers who had struggled – Alex , Pierre , they are fantastic drivers and they struggled.

“I spent so long in Red Bull that everyone forgot how difficult the car is to drive, so that was tricky. I feel like that if there is a project that makes sense to me – and also with the regulations changing for 2026 – I feel like taking a year out won’t have any impact if I were to come back.”

Although Lawson’s struggles highlight how tough the situation within Red Bull is to handle, Perez insists he wants to see Tsunoda do well now he is making the step up from Racing Bulls.

“I really want the team to do well, as I have a lot of friends at the team,” Perez said. “I spent four years with them and I want to see them doing well. It’s just a very hard thing to talk about. Right now, I’m on the outside — I’ve been in touch with some team members there but when you’re not there internally, it’s hard to know .

“For me, it was very simple — the car is just quite difficult to get 100% out of it, to get the confidence out of it — and the things I struggled with, even Adrian talked about them. But I want to wish them the best. Woody , who is a great friend of mine, is engineering Yuki now so I really hope they do well.

“Yuki has the talent, has the speed and, more than that, you need the mentality to cope with it. I think he has the right mentality and the right attitude to cope with it. I hope they will succeed.”