Mario Andretti looks out on the track Friday, May 17, 2024, during Fast Friday ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Former Red Bull Driver Favorite for New F1 Team

This former Red Bull race winner might get a second shot at F1 racing in 2026.

Mario Andretti looks out on the track Friday, May 17, 2024, during Fast Friday ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Red Bull let go of a multiple race winning driver after the 2024 season. He joined the team in 2021 as a much-needed support to Max Verstappen in the second seat. After two successful seasons in 2021 and 2022, his performance began declining. In his final two seasons at Red Bull, he became a liability to the team leading to his exit. Yes, we are talking about none other than Sergio “Checo” Perez. The Mexican driver was previously a driver at Racing Point. His abilities in the previous season fetched him a seat at Red Bull Racing.

After Sergio Perez’s exit from Red Bull, there has been no news about his recent ongoings. The F1 community is divisive about his retirement from F1. But, the 2025 grid looks stable for all 10 teams on the grid. Red Bull Racing too have their own options for the upcoming seasons so they might not need Perez anytime soon. But, the addition of a new team to the Formula 1 grid in 2026 might give him a chance.

Sergio Perez Is a Potential Candidate for Cadillac F1 Team

The 2026 F1 season will feature a new team on the grid, Cadillac F1 backed by GM and TWG Motorsports. The team, earlier pursued by the Andrettis, has morphed into a direct venture from GM. Andretti’s involvement might lead to the addition of a new American driver to the F1 grid. Some recent reports suggest, we might see a potential return to the grid instead of a completely new lineup. Sergio Perez is the leading contestant for this experienced driver at Cadillac. Mario Andretti, who is a part of the board of directors at Cadillac, spoke in a podcast about their driver lineup-

“But the second driver, the second seat, will definitely be an experienced driver who might be available. And we all know that the selection in that regard is quite clear.”

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— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) March 30, 2025

Andretti’s words directly point to Sergio Perez who can deliver on all these expectations. He is also from North American which will align with Cadillac’s American dream. Perez’s return to F1 with Cadillac was also hinted as an option by Andretti. He has appreciated his driving and compared him directly to Liam Lawson. According to Andretti, Perez is much better than Lawson. The Mexican fanbase and Perez’s sponsors are going to be a huge bonus for Cadillac in their intial years trying to develop the team.

What do you think Sergio Perez’s revival? Andretti and Perez might end up becoming a good pair as the Mexican driver has no lack of talent. He has the experience of winning race and handling the pressure of performing in a top car as well as underpowered car. For more news of Formula 1, follow The Playoffs.

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.