Sergio Pérez Opens Up on Red Bull's 'Built for Verstappen' Car, Private Doubts, and Cadillac's Growing Pains in 2026

• He knew from the start. Christian Horner told him before signing: "We go racing with two cars because we have to, otherwise we'd be super happy to race with one car" .
• Resources were directed toward Verstappen. Senior engineers, experienced staff, and development direction all favored the Dutchman .
• He felt 'completely alone.' Pérez said he lacked management support and carried the burden of the second car largely on his own .
• A Catch-22 dynamic. If he outperformed Verstappen, it caused tension; if he fell behind, that was also a problem .

His core argument is that his struggles at Red Bull were not simply a matter of talent — the entire operation was structurally skewed toward one driver, making the second seat fundamentally unequal .

'Toxic' Final Months and Private Doubts About Returning

The mental toll of that imbalance was severe. Pérez described his last six months at Red Bull as 'very, very hard and I would say toxic' . He took a year off from racing in 2025 to recover mentally .

When the Cadillac opportunity arose for 2026, Pérez admitted he wrestled with serious doubts about whether returning to F1 was the right decision . He questioned if he still had what it takes to compete at the highest level . But he has addressed those doubts by proving to himself that he still belongs. Even in uncompetitive machinery, Pérez says he has demonstrated his abilities and silenced his own hesitation . He framed his return as a personal mission to prove he remains 'one of the best' in the championship .

Frustration with Cadillac's Slow Development Pace

Cadillac entered F1 as a new team in 2026. After 11 rounds, the team sat dead last in the Constructors' standings without a single point, scrapping at the back of the field roughly 2.5 seconds off the pace . Pérez has expressed clear frustration.

His key remarks:

• "It's been very tricky. It's been very difficult for us to develop. I think we haven't developed basically enough" .
• He argued the team must 'rethink all its processes' to catch up .
• He acknowledged the scale of a start-up project but said the current trajectory falls short, stating bluntly: 'I want to see more performance coming… not enough' .

The underlying problem, as Pérez sees it, is that Cadillac has struggled to translate factory development into on-track performance while rival backmarkers like Aston Martin have made noticeable gains . He has also pointed to the team's reliance on external suppliers as a source of inefficiency .

What Comes Next for Pérez and Cadillac?

Pérez's return to F1 has been a story of resilience, but the challenges ahead are steep. He has silenced his own doubts, but the car he is driving remains uncompetitive. He has spoken openly about the structural inequality at Red Bull, but that chapter is closed. Now, the question is whether Cadillac can accelerate its development fast enough to keep its veteran driver motivated — and whether Pérez can continue to prove he belongs at the front of the grid, even when the machinery is holding him back.