Sergio Perez confirms F1 retirement plan

Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez confirms F1 retirement plan

He's not even properly back yet!

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 11 January 2026 16:56

Sergio Perez has confirmed when he will retire from F1, before even competing in his first race with Cadillac.

The Mexican driver's F1 career appeared to be over following his Red Bull axe in 2024, his reputation in tatters after an eighth place finish in the drivers' standings - a full 285 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

However, Perez received free PR via Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda Ltd, whose lacklustre performances last year woke everyone up to the fact the Mexican wasn't as bad as originally assumed.

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Enter stage left Cadillac, whose presence as the 11th team on the grid have offered a lifeline, not just for Perez, but also Valtteri Bottas.

Can Cadillac become competitive?

At 35-years-old, Perez is approaching the twilight of his F1 career, but has one last goal remaining. To ensure Cadillac are a competitive force.

Cadillac have a mammoth task ahead of them as F1's newest team, with the American squad expected to be at the bottom of the order in Melbourne. Even after years of development, there is no guarantee of success, with Haas unable to score a single podium since their arrival to the sport in 2016.

Perez is brimming with belief, however, and during a tell-all interview on the Cracks podcast, revealed he would love to end his career at Cadillac, departing once they are competitive.

When asked if his return with Cadillac would be his last stint in the sport, he said: “Yes, it's definitely my last stint. I'd love to retire with Cadillac, leaving it as a powerful team in Formula 1, one of the biggest teams.

"It's a big project, it takes a long time for everything to fall into place with such large organisations. It will take time, but I think we have all the ingredients to make this team one of the biggest in Formula 1 in the coming years.”

F1 Sergio Perez Cadillac