Max Verstappen backs Sergio Perez for Cadillac as rumours swirl

The F1 2026 season is coming up quick, and Cadillac F1 has yet to settle on its driver lineup. 

But reigning champion Max Verstappen has placed his confidence in former Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, praizing his performance and consistency.

Max Verstappen casts vote of confidence in Sergio Perez

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

For the first time in years, the F1 2026 season will kick off with 11 teams populating the Formula 1 grid, and that’s all thanks to the approval of Cadillac F1.

The American team had a rocky road to that acceptance; it started life as Andretti Global, an entry helmed by Michael Andretti, son of 1978 F1 World Champion Mario. However, the entry’s viability was questioned by Formula One Management and ultimately rejected.

That prompted a reorganization of the team structure that saw Andretti step down from his role at the head of the team. He was replaced by team financier Dan Towriss, with General Motors sub-brand Cadillac sweeping in to take over the team’s naming rights.

Provisional and then official approval came shortly after, but Cadillac has taken its slow when it comes to releasing details. It has shared its official logo and signed its first sponsor in Tommy Hilfiger — but everyone is wondering who will be racing for the team.

More on Cadillac F1:

? Cadillac F1: Everything you need to know about the new 11th team

? Cadillac F1 signs first major sponsor with deep Formula 1 ties

Several veteran drivers have had their name thrown into the ring, including the likes of Sergio Perez.

Perez left Formula 1 on difficult terms at the close of the 2024 season, when a challenging year saw his Red Bull Racing team opt to negate his contract extension and let him go heading into 2025. Because Perez and the team parted ways at the end of the season, the Mexican driver didn’t have a chance to negotiate a deal to return to the grid for the F1 2025 season — but that means his name has been quite strongly linked to the Cadillac team.

He’s also received some ringing endorsements from former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

“Checo has always been very strong,” Verstappen said during the build-up to the British Grand Prix.

“Of course, he had some difficult moments with us, but as long as he has the motivation to race, I think he is a very good choice, especially for a new team.

“If you look at his performances at Force India and Racing Point, you will see that he always scored good points there.”

Verstappen isn’t the only driver to cast a vote of confidence in Checo’s favor; VCARB rookie Isack Hadjar also had nothing but kind words for the Mexican driver when interviewed by media during the build-up to the British Grand Prix.

“I’m hearing a lot of positive things about him for next year,” Hadjar said. “It seems like something is really going on. He clearly deserves a place there.”

Pressed further, Hadjar added, “It’s Checo we’re talking about; he did quite well alongside Max.”

And that’s not all: Checo also received an endorsement from Jonathan Wheatley, former Red Bull Sporting Director.

“Firstly, I really enjoyed working with Checo. He’s a great personality, great attitude to life, full stop,” Wheatley said in an interview with F1.com.

“I have no doubt about his pace and his speed. It’s been natural since the beginning.

“He put in some tremendous drives at my former team and I don’t think it’s much of a barrier that he’s had a bit of time off between driving a Formula 1 car because when you know how to do that, you know how to do it.”

Will it be enough to convince Cadillac of Perez’s prowess? That remains to be seen, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Read next: Why Daniel Ricciardo is considered ‘wrong person’ for Cadillac F1