Cadillac Signs Sergio Perez to Long-Term Deal Ahead of 2026 Mexican Grand Prix

Doubters of Sergio Perez might want to close their eyes and hibernate this weekend.

Cadillac has announced today that they will be extending Perez's contract through the 2029 season, confirming a long-term deal between the American outfit and the Mexican driver. 

The timing couldn't be any more perfect, with Perez returning to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to race in front of his countrymen in Mexico City. The 36-year-old Mexican driver has achieved two podium finishes here, back when he was still wearing the Red Bull race suits in 2021 and 2022. 

Perez might not be fighting for podium places this time around, but his Cadillac extension will surely be celebrated across town.

Perez has won six Grand Prix races in his career, and these are not just while driving the dominant Red Bull car. He has showed that he can extract strong results from a midfield car, most notably during his stint with Racing Point. 

Plus, Perez has shown resilience even under duress. Late in 2020, when he still didn't have a confirmed F1 seat in 2021, Perez put on a show during the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain. He collided with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc early, which dropped him down to the back of the field after a pit stop. 

But Perez stormed his way through the pack, winning his first F1 race by more than 10 seconds over Renault's Esteban Ocon and Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll.

It was the cue that then Red Bull team principal Christian Horner needed, as he signed the Mexican driver to slot alongside Max Verstappen in 2021.

Now that we know Cadillac is placing more value on experience, the next question is an obvious one.

Valtteri Bottas has four more Grand Prix wins than Perez, so one would think that Cadillac might also extend his services. But the Finn might be competing with former IndyCar star and current Cadillac reserve driver Colton Herta. 

Despite Herta's documented struggles in Formula 2, Cadillac has been giving him plenty of opportunities to earn his Super Licence points. Herta will participate in Free Practice 1 in Mexico this Friday, which would add one more point to his total of 39 (should he complete at least 100 kilometers in the session). He just needs to reach 40 points to be eligible for an F1 seat.

Plus, Herta is an American and Cadillac is an American outfit. 

Still, Bottas is the better driver right now, judging from Herta's F2 campaign.

Imagine if Perez scores Cadillac's first championship point in Mexico. The scenes will be unreal. But leave that to only your imagination. 

Cadillac's car is still among the worst on the grid, so expect both Perez and Bottas to exit Q1 on Saturday and languish at the bottom on Sunday. 

We just want to see and hear the Mexican fans cheer as their driver completes his final lap and takes the checkered flag. 

Please don't DNF, Checo.