Sergio Perez "the frontrunner" for one F1 team amid rival interest

Sergio Perez is reportedly wanted by several F1 teams including the new Cadillac outfit.

The six-time grand prix winner has continually found himself linked with the American squad ahead of their highly-anticipated arrival to the F1 grid in 2026.

Perez has been without a drive since losing his Red Bull seat at the end of the hugely disappointing 2024 campaign in which he finished a huge 285 points adrift of teammate Max Verstappen, who won a fourth consecutive world title.

The 35-year-old Mexican said he would take a six-month sabbatical from racing while he weighs up his future opens, but has always kept the door open to an F1 comeback.

Cadillac appear to be making the biggest move to sign Perez. 

Perez is described as being "the frontrunner" to join Cadillac but a deal is yet to be reached, according to F1 reporter Lawrence Barretto, who adds he is talking to "multiple teams". 

Cadillac are set to host a launch event on Saturday night in Miami where they will reveal their livery ahead of their 2026 debut.

An announcement about their driver line-up is not expected to be made.

Experienced driver key for Cadillac

Team principal Graeme Lowdon told media, including Crash.net, earlier this year that they were considering several drivers, but made a point of citing experience.

“We will definitely select on merit,” Lowdon said. “F1 is not a playground. This is the pinnacle of world motorsport so, for sure, we need to select drivers on merit.

“Luckily for us there are a lot of good drivers out there. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to be in the driver market until the entry is confirmed, so it’s a little bit too early to go too much into any detail, because it’s only now that we’re able to have meaningful conversations.

“But for sure we want to have drivers that can contribute to the overall programme.”

Perez, who has 285 entries under his belt, is mooted to be making an appearance in the F1 paddock during this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.

Former Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been named as other potential candidates for Cadillac.

It has also been widely speculated that Cadillac will want to place an American driver in one of their seats.

“Personally, I see no reason why an American driver can’t be selected on merit. It’s certainly something I think the fans would like to see and I see no reason why that can’t happen,” Lowdon said.

“Just because someone’s American doesn’t mean that they can’t be a good Formula 1 driver. We’re not starting a team for the short-term.

“The partners have made this commitment into Formula 1 very much for the longer-term. We spoke fairly early on in the process about our desire to also improve opportunities and the ability for the drivers to come through as well.

“We will be looking at some form of academy programme. So looking forward, I see no reason why we won’t have American drivers in the team on merit.”