Cadillac does not intend to lose Sergio Perez, despite rumors of a possible transfer to Williams. The new team boss, Marcin Budkowski, and CEO Dan Towriss, emphasized that they count on the Mexican for the remainder of the Formula 1 season.
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Budkowski took immediate command of Cadillac after Graeme Lowdon’s departure this week, but has not yet visited the team’s headquarters. Even so, the new manager highlighted the importance of keeping Perez, especially due to the learning phase the team is experiencing in its first season in the category.
“Checo has been an asset to the team. And the two drivers (Perez and Valtteri Bottas) have been, to be honest, because there has been a lot of talk about having two very experienced drivers,” Budkowski said. According to him, experience is essential for a young team, as putting drivers and structure to learn simultaneously would add too many variables to the process.
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The manager also highlighted Perez’s work off the track. Budkowski explained that, from conversations he had with Towriss and other team members, he understood that the Mexican is not only performing well but also applying internal pressure to accelerate Cadillac’s development: “He is not only driving exceptionally well, but has also been pushing the team hard behind the scenes,” he added.
Towriss was even more direct when commenting on the rumors involving Williams. The CEO highlighted Perez’s contribution and dismissed that the possibility of a transfer is affecting Cadillac’s plans: “I have great confidence that Checo will continue with Cadillac and we are not distracted by the Williams rumors for even a second. We are very confident in the relationship here and that you will see him driving the Cadillac car in Formula 1 next year,” he concluded.
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