Sergio Perez gets backing from F1 rival for deserved ‘second chance’

Carlos Sainz has backed Cadillac’s decision to sign Sergio Perez as one of their drivers, saying he deserves a second chance in F1.

Perez will return to F1 in 2026 with Cadillac, partnering former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.

The experienced duo were dropped by their respective teams - Red Bull and Sauber - at the end of last year.

Perez’s form tailed off in 2024, leading Red Bull to replace him with Liam Lawson.

Despite a strong campaign, Bottas was dropped by Sauber in favour of F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.

Sainz believes that, like Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg - both of whom returned to F1 after spells out of the sport - Perez’s comeback is well deserved.

Speaking via El Heraldo de Mexico, Sainz said: “Well, I think Checo has already shown everyone how talented he is and the strength he has, right? As a driver, as an athlete, with the sporting career he has in Formula 1.

“Now he’s preparing, I think, for a second, different stage, but I think it’s very motivating, very, very encouraging for him.

“In the end, I think that second chances in Formula 1 are given to very few drivers, and they are given to drivers who have truly marked a before and after, as was the case with Ricciardo, Checo.

“In the end, Hulkenberg has had his second chance. These are drivers who have really managed to stand out a lot, and Checo is one of them.”

Perez set for first Cadillac test

Perez will return to testing action for the first time since the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix later this month.

He will drive a 2023 Ferrari car as Cadillac do not yet have a chassis of their own.

Unlike teammate Bottas - who remains contracted to Mercedes as their third driver - Perez is a free agent and is already embedding himself within the team.

“We’ll have some testing sessions in November,” Perez said.

“They’ll be very useful because we’ll be able to work with the mechanics and engineers to have the whole team ready for the testing programme that begins in January — very early in the year — where we’ll already be at 100 per cent.”