Sergio Perez is currently waiting for another opportunity to return to the Formula 1 grid ahead of the 2026 season.
The Mexican driver left Red Bull at the end of last year, following what looked like a poor run of performances.
Fast-forward 12 months, and although McLaren are dominating, those in Red Bull’s second seat (Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda) have struggled so much that Perez’s results now look very handy.
Finishing eighth in the drivers’ championship was quite impressive, and it might have put him back on some teams’ radars heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.
F1 fans want Cadillac to sign Perez and hand him an opportunity for redemption alongside old rival Valtteri Bottas.
Alpine ‘don’t want to know’ about Perez, even though they may be in need of a driver to replace Franco Colapinto. They’re not interested.
READ MORE: Sergio Perez has now sent a message to Cadillac F1 in behind-the-scenes talks over 2026 seat
Photo by Hoch Zwei/Corbis via Getty ImagesSergio Perez was ‘kicked’ from McLaren due to his behaviour after the 2013 F1 season
Nobody has noticed Perez’s biggest hint yet that he could be lining up a Formula 1 return, as he has recently changed management.
Being on the grid again with Cadillac would mark the fifth team he has raced for over the last 15 years at the highest level.
Ex-McLaren veteran Jo Ramirez recently discussed how he drifted apart from Perez after helping him sign a deal with the Woking-based team for 2013.
“It’s a shame, because for me, I was never very. Yes, it was quite a bit, I can’t say friend because the age difference is very large, but we did get along well,” he said.
“But then he didn’t like it when I criticised him because he left McLaren or was kicked out of McLaren, having helped him a lot to get into McLaren. They kicked him out because of the way he behaved with McLaren, and I took it very personally.”
READ MORE: Sergio Perez now emerging as surprising ‘dark horse’ to sign for nine-time F1 champions in 2026
How Sergio Perez’s time with McLaren fell apart in 2013
Perez was announced as a McLaren driver for the 2013 season back in September 2012, after Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes was announced.
His association with Ferrari drew to a close, and he set about making his debut with a title-contending team for the following year, which went quite pear-shaped.
He finished 11th on debut, and it became immediately clear that McLaren were behind the eight ball in 2013.
His best result of the year would be fifth place, worse than what he had achieved the year before at Sauber, despite having high expectations.
The Mexican driver clashed with Kimi Raikkonen in Monaco, leading to the Finnish driver wanting to confront him, and he continued to struggle for results throughout the summer.
In November, it was announced that McLaren junior Kevin Magnussen would replace Perez for 2014, and in December, he was confirmed as a Force India driver.