In Montreal, Sergio Perez described himself as one of the best drivers on the grid after a period of deep self-doubt
After the Canadian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez appeared extremely confident: “I’m glad I came back and proved to myself that I’m among the best,” he said in Montreal.
The Cadillac driver was asked about this very statement in Monaco: “If you look at my last six months at Red Bull, you wouldn’t think I’m among the best out there,” explained the 36-year-old.
“But if you understand the circumstances I was in back then and see the level I’m delivering for my team, then you realize that I’m among the best out there.”
“At the end of the day, you need the right circumstances to be able to show your talent. In that regard, I’m very happy that I came back and proved that to myself. Ultimately, as a driver, you want to have exactly that self-confidence. As much as I struggled at Red Bull, it hurts your self-confidence.”
When asked by our sister site Motorsport.com when Perez knew he was still competitive, the Cadillac driver cited his Ferrari test in November. Before their own car was ready, the new team had the chance to test an old Ferrari car.
“In the last three or four races, my qualifying sessions, race pace, and performance level have made me feel like the speed was always there,” explains Perez. The Cadillac driver concludes: “You think, ‘Maybe I’m the problem’ and ‘I’m not as good as I used to be.’”
“But it’s about the circumstances surrounding you,” Perez sums up.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon was asked in Monaco whether he, too, considers Perez one of the best Formula 1 drivers on the grid: “All these drivers are really good, but Checo has impressed me a lot,” he said.
“I enjoy working with both [drivers]. They have very different personalities. We demand much more from them than just driving the race car, but I’m very impressed by how hard they’re working.”
“I’ve said before that we’re all part of the same team, and we mean it. The drivers are a central part of the team, so it’s part of our philosophy to really support them.“
”Especially here [in Monaco], it’s a matter of self-confidence,“ Lowdon emphasized. ”You just have to walk the track to see how difficult it is to drive a Formula 1 car here.”
“It’s about confidence, and we want the guys on the team to feel comfortable and confident. But that’s not fake. That’s how we operate as a real racing team.”
The team principal further emphasizes: “Throughout my entire time in racing, it’s been about building a real racing team. We wear our brand with pride, but our foundation is a real racing team where the drivers matter. And it’s important that they feel heard and supported.”
Lowdon also describes Perez’s current situation: “We see that with Checo. If you [support him], he really responds to it. And I think that’s already been evident in the first few races. He’s driving outstandingly and having fun doing it.”
“Didn’t he have that duel with Fernando in Miami? It was for 15th or 16th place. But he got out of the car afterward and said, ‘I love it, this is great.’”
“That’s what Formula 1 should be about: the battles on the track between the world’s best drivers, who are also having fun while doing it. So why not?”
So far, Perez has been able to make a bigger name for himself at Cadillac than his teammate Valtteri Bottas. While the former Red Bull driver is enjoying a second wind, the future of Bottas is discussed from time to time.
