Sergio Perez will stay with Cadillac until at least the end of the 2029 season after signing a multi-year contract extension. The team announced the deal on Wednesday, days before the Mexican makes his 300th Formula 1 start at his home Grand Prix in Mexico City.
The 36-year-old returned to the grid this year for Cadillac’s debut season after a year out of F1. His points tally does not show his value to the team: Perez sits at the bottom of the drivers’ standings, and neither he nor team-mate Valtteri Bottas has scored a point. Even so, Cadillac has committed to him for three more seasons.
“Joining Cadillac from day one was a project I truly believed in,” Perez said. “Building a Formula 1 team from the ground up takes time, relentless work and patience. There is still a lot of work ahead of us and I am fully committed for the next three years. I won’t let you down.”
Why Cadillac moved early
Perez’s original deal, announced in August 2025, included options from 2027 onwards. Instead of taking up a one-season option, Cadillac negotiated a new contract. It is understood to have come together quickly, and it was finalised before the Mexico City weekend.
Cadillac chief executive Dan Towriss called the deal a matter of continuity. “We’re thrilled to announce that Checo will remain an integral part of Cadillac Formula 1 Team for years to come,” he said. “Securing Checo’s talent and leadership gives us the continuity and commitment we need.”
Internally, the team believes it was right to bring Perez back. People at Cadillac say he has consistently got the most out of a car that usually runs at the back, and that his technical feedback has shaped its development. Perez had been linked with Williams, so the early deal also takes an experienced race winner off the market.
His best results this season are three 14th-place finishes, in Barcelona, Silverstone and Azerbaijan. He came closest to scoring in Monaco, where a penalty cost him a points finish. He has also been comfortably quicker than Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner.
A career rebuilt after Red Bull
Not long ago, Perez’s F1 career looked to be over. Red Bull dropped him at the end of 2024 even though he had two years left on his contract, after a season in which he fell well behind Max Verstappen. He spent 2025 out of racing before Cadillac, the 11th team on the grid, made him one of its first two drivers.
His record is substantial:
- F1 debut with Sauber in 2011, then spells at McLaren, Force India/Racing Point and Red Bull
- Six Grand Prix wins: his first for Racing Point at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, then five with Red Bull between 2021 and 2024
- 39 podium finishes
- Third in the 2022 drivers’ championship and runner-up to Verstappen in 2023
- 300th start due in Mexico City this weekend
The new deal runs to the end of 2029, when Perez will be 39. That makes Cadillac very likely the last team of his career. If he keeps performing at his current level, it will not be a short stay.
What it means for Bottas and 2027
The announcement covers only one of Cadillac’s two seats. Bottas’s place for 2027 has not been confirmed, and Cadillac executive Marcin Budkowski has declined to say publicly that both drivers will stay. The Finn insists he has a valid contract. “I know my situation and it’s all good,” he said.
Colton Herta is the candidate mentioned most often. The American drove Perez’s car in first practice at the United States Grand Prix and is set for another FP1 outing in Mexico City, but he currently has 39 superlicence points, one short of the 40 required for a race seat. Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson have also been linked with the team.
For Cadillac, which General Motors backs heavily, securing Perez gives it a fixed point as it tries to move up the grid. Its leadership wants a driver who knows what a winning car feels like.
For Perez, attention now turns to the home crowd. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will be packed with home fans for his milestone start, and he now arrives knowing his future is settled.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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