Sergio Perez finds his rhythm with Cadillac

Sergio Perez is back, and he is making it clear he belongs on the grid. After being dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2024, the Mexican racer returned to the F1 field this year alongside Valtteri Bottas to drive for the new Cadillac team. It is a massive challenge, but the transformation from back-of-the-pack runners to midfield contenders is already underway.

In Canada, the progress was plain to see. Perez put in a beautiful, aggressive drive during the Sprint, fighting on soft tyres and nearly cracking the second phase of qualifying before a penalty hampered his result. Even with a frustrating retirement in the Grand Prix caused by a suspension failure, the six-time winner is buzzing: "I’m happy I came back and have proven to myself that I’m one of the best out there."

Make no mistake, there is work to do. Perez is calling for the team to "clean up" their operations, noting that while the machine is getting faster, technical gremlins and operational slips are still costing them results. As the series moves toward the unique test of Monte Carlo, Perez is urgent about finding that missing consistency. He knows exactly what is needed to take the next step.