Cadillac’s senior leadership has moved to play down suggestions Sergio Perez could leave the squad at the end of the season.
The Mexican has reignited his F1 career following his return to the grid this year leading to speculation that he could leave Cadillac in favour of a switch to Williams.
Cadillac insists Sergio Perez set to remain for F1 2027
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Perez sat out the F1 2025 campaign after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of the previous season following a campaign in which he was comprehensively out-performed by Max Verstappen.
His reputation was partially restored when both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda also struggled alongside the Dutchman before the veteran secured a deal to return to the grid with Cadillac.
His race-winning experience was seen as a valuable addition to the fledgling operation, and his performances across the opening half of F1 2026 have seen the 36-year-old become a viable option for rival operations.
Chief among those is Williams, which has struggled more than it had hoped following the introduction of all-new regulations this season, with suggestions that has prompted Carlos Sainz to look at his options elsewhere.
Alex Albon has also had his future drawn into question, with Perez thought an attractive candidate should either of the Grove seats become available.
Such a move would prove an instant step forward in terms of competitiveness for Perez, but Cadillac team owner and CEO Dan Towriss is confident he’ll remain with his squad for a second season.
“Checo’s been a tremendous asset,” he told PlanetF1.com and other invited media.
“He’s driven very well and certainly has pushed quite hard.
“I’m confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac, and we’re not distracted by the Williams rumours for a second.
“We’re very confident in the relationship here, and that you’re going to see him piloting the Cadillac F1 car [in 2027].”
It’s a view echoed by new team principal Marcin Budkowski, who believes two veteran drivers at this stage of the team’s history are the right move.
Alongside Perez, the squad hired Valtteri Bottas, who spent much of his career alongside Lewis Hamilton during Mercedes’ domination of F1.
Combined, Perez and Bottas provided extraordinary race-winning depth of experience – something that is vitally important to an all-new operation.
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“Checo has been an asset to the team – and so have both drivers,” Budkowski said.
“I think it’s crucial in a young team like this to provide that experience and that stability.
“If you have a driver learning, and the whole team learning at the same time, that’s too many variables, so it’s important to have a driver like Checo on board.
“He’s not only been driving exceptionally well, but he’s been pushing the team very, very hard in the background, and that’s to be expected from a driver like him, who’s been at Red Bull for years and with the best.
“That’s the kind of mindset we want.”
Brazilian youngster Rafael Camara has been touted as a possible replacement for Perez at Cadillac, alongside Colton Herta.
Camara currently sits third in the Formula 2 Championship, his first season in the competition, with race wins in Barcelona and Spa.
The 21-year-old is also a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, with his promotion to a Cadillac seat seen as a deepening of the relationship that exists between the American squad and the Scuderia.
Cadillac uses Ferrari power, and will continue to do so until General Motors’ power unit is ready for competition.
For the moment, however, Towriss insists there are no plans to change the driver pairing for next season with the focus on building the operation and resolving its remaining teething issues, most notably its lack of reliability.
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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