Sergio Perez emphasizes that he would like to stay with Cadillac, but does not deny talks with other teams
Sergio Perez has revealed that his management has held talks with other Formula 1 teams about a potential move for 2027. However, he wants to remain with Cadillac to help the team continue moving forward.
According to rumors, Perez’s management was in negotiations with Williams regarding a seat in the event that Carlos Sainz decided to leave. However, Sainz subsequently signed a multi-year contract extension with the Grove-based team, effectively closing that door.
The Mexican driver has also been linked to teams such as Alpine. However, the Enstone-based team will retain Franco Colapinto for 2027, as the Argentine’s performance has steadily improved throughout his first full season.
Perez: “I See This as My Project”
Be that as it may, the Mexican driver emphasizes in the “Beyond the Grid” podcast that he is fully committed to the Cadillac project and wants to continue helping shape the growth of the U.S. racing team beyond its debut season.
“Nothing has changed for me. Of course, we’ve had talks with other teams, and here and there a few teams have inquired and things like that, but for me, absolutely nothing has changed,” he says. “I see this as my project, and I want to be part of Cadillac. I really believe in it.”
“I don’t think this is a one-year project. It’s a long-term project that I want to be a part of. Of course, there will still be discussions, but this is where I want to be—and as far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed,” he emphasizes.
Perez adds that he wants to see progress within the team and is eager to see what new direction the new team principal, Marcin Budkowski, will bring. Budkowski took over from Graeme Lowdon after Cadillac parted ways with him during the summer break.
A Few Areas for Improvement at Cadillac
When asked what Cadillac needs to do to improve, Perez explains that it’s not just about pure performance, but also about how the team operates—such as getting a handle on pit stops, strategy, and other track crew procedures.
“I want to see more progress and for us to close the gap to the teams ahead of us. I’m not exactly sure who’s ahead of us right now—whether it’s Williams; Aston Martin seems to have slipped into the midfield as well—so that we can battle them more in the races.”
“Narrowing that gap will allow us to start next year in much better shape,” said Perez. “And that’s exactly what I want to see. Of course, I’m looking forward to working with Marcin and experiencing his leadership style.”
“I think there’s still an enormous amount of room for improvement. Not just in terms of performance, but also operationally: pit stops, strategy, tires. There’s still so much—after all, we’ve only completed the eleventh race in our history. So there are plenty of areas to tweak.”
“But I want to see significantly more progress. If we close the gap, it will give us a huge boost heading into next year.”