Sergio Perez rejected the idea that he is delivering more than expected in his first season with Cadillac. The Mexican stated that his current performance in Formula 1 does not represent an evolution compared to the period when he was at Red Bull Racing.
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Perez left Red Bull at the end of 2024, after a last season marked by difficulties and results well below expectations. According to the Mexican driver, however, the problems faced during that period were related to the circumstances experienced by the team in the final months of his time with the team.
“I couldn’t show my true potential because of very different circumstances in the last six months at Red Bull. There were many circumstances behind that,” Perez said in a statement to the press.
During his time at Red Bull, the Mexican had Max Verstappen as a teammate and found it difficult to keep up with the development direction adopted by the team. The Dutchman’s preference influenced this path, while Perez had adaptation problems and frequently finished outside the top 10 in his last season at Red Bull.
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At Cadillac, Perez has been sharing the team with Valtteri Bottas and has received praise for his performances, as well as participating in the team’s development in his first F1 season. Still, the Mexican rejected the assessment that he is currently above his previous level.
“People think I am delivering more than I should at this moment, but I was already driving at a very high level previously, given the circumstances I was in,” he added. Perez also stated that he does not see a difference between his current ability and that shown with the previous generation of cars.
“I am really happy with the level at this moment, with my pace, I am really happy and it seems I am getting better and better, I just need to keep performing. That is the only thing that matters to me right now,” concluded the Mexican driver.
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