Cadillac offer clear Sergio Perez stance after Williams F1 rumour

Cadillac's senior F1 leadership has dismissed rumours linking Sergio Perez with a possible defection to Williams. 

Since returning to the grid at the start of 2026, Perez's performances have been eye-catching, which, coupled with his race and championship-winning nouse from his Red Bull days makes Perez an attractive option for multiple teams. 

Both current Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have indicated that they could look for options away from the Grove team after a poor start to the new 2026 regulations, with the team having spent much of the last three years building up to the opportunity 2026 provided.

Cadillac has suffered from the expected teething troubles of a new team in 2026, but has made big steps forward in processes and with upgrades as it awaits a first point of the season.

Addressing the possibility of Perez jumping ship to Williams, new team principal Marcin Budkowski and CEO Dan Towriss soothed those concerns. 

"Checo has been an asset to the team, so have both drivers, to be honest, because there's been a lot of talk about taking two very experienced drivers, but I think it's crucial in a young team like this to provide that experience and that stability," Budkowski told media, including RacingNews365, when asked about rumours linking Perez to Williams. 

"If you have a driver learning and a whole team learning at the same time, that's too many variables, so I think it's it's important to to have a driver like like Checo on on board, and he's been, because of the conversations I've had with with Dan, but also with with other people from the team, he's not only been driving exceptionally well, but he's been pushing the team very, very hard in the in the background, and that's to be expected from from a driver like him, who's been at Red Bull for years and with with the best.

"I think that's the kind of mindset that we want, and that's also the kind of mindset that I will bring. So I'm sure you know we will be aligned completely on the mindset and on the drive. Apart from that, honestly, I can't answer this question today. 

"And to be honest, it's more a question for Dan, who's been involved in it, than for myself at this stage."

Towriss then dismissed the links to Williams for the Mexican driver.

"Yeah, look, I would underline all the things that Marcin said," Towriss added.

"Checo's been a tremendous asset to the team. He's driven very well, and certainly has pushed quite hard. I'm very confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac, and we're not distracted by 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."