Sergio Perez says he remains committed to Cadillac despite his management holding talks with rival Formula 1 teams about a possible move for the 2027 season.
Reports had linked Perez with Williams if Carlos Sainz decided to leave the team. However, Sainz signed a multi-year contract extension with the Grove-based outfit, removing that potential opportunity.
The Mexican driver was also associated with Alpine, although the team is expected to retain Franco Colapinto for 2027 after the Argentine improved during his first full season with the Enstone-based squad.
Despite the speculation, Perez told Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast that he wants to remain part of Cadillac and help the American team develop beyond its debut season.
“For me, nothing has changed,” he said. “Of course, we’ve had conversations with other teams and here and there, a few teams have been calling and stuff, but for me, nothing has changed.
“I see this as my project and I want to be part of Cadillac. I really believe [in it].
“I don’t think this is a one-year project. I think this is a long-term project that I want to be part of. Obviously, there will be some discussions, but this is where I want to be and nothing has changed from my side.”
Perez said he wants to see Cadillac make further progress and is also keen to assess the impact of new team principal Marcin Budkowski. Budkowski replaced Graeme Lowdon, who was released by Cadillac during the summer break.
For Perez, improving Cadillac’s results will require more than simply increasing the car’s on-track performance. He also highlighted the team’s operational work, including pit stops, race strategy and tyre management.
“I want to see more progress. Closing out the gap to the teams ahead of us,” he said. “I don’t know who’s ahead at the moment, I don’t know if it’s Williams, Aston seems to have become part [of the midfield] and being able to mix with them more in the races.
“Being able to close that gap will only allow us to start next year in a much better shape. And that’s something I want to see. Obviously, I’m looking forward to work with Marcin and see his leadership.
“I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. Not just on performance, operationally, pitstops, strategy, tyres.
“There’s so much still – we’ve only done the 11th race in our history. So there’s a lot of things. But I want to see much more progress. Closing out the gap and then I think that will give us a massive boost to start next year.”
