At 36 years old and after 15 seasons in F1, the Mexican keeps his ambition intact. He acknowledges that his return with Cadillac motivates him because he feels he is more than a driver, his ultimate goal remains the world title that eluded him in 2023.
Sergio Pérez has a pending promise to himself. The Mexican driver, who completes 15 seasons in Formula 1, has made it clear that he does not plan to retire without having conquered the world championship. His determination, far from weakening with the years, has strengthened with every challenge: "The easiest thing was to go back. I left and I told my parents: 'You know what? I'm not coming back until I'm world champion'" revealed the driver from Guadalajara in an interview given to a podcast: "They were like: 'This crazy guy is going to call us in five days saying he wants to come back'" he added with humor.
But that conversation was not a passing outburst, Pérez took it as a life commitment: "From then on that stuck with me and I always kept the vision that this is going to be temporary and this is going to pass and the good moments will come" confessed the 36 year old driver, who since then has built a career that has made him the best Mexican in Formula 1 history.
His trajectory is a testimony of perseverance. Pérez debuted in 2011 with Sauber and his performance caught the attention of Ferrari and Mercedes, although it was McLaren who signed him in 2013, however, his time at Woking was brief and his continuity in the category was at risk. It was Sahara Force India who lent him a hand and there he remained when the team was acquired by a group of investors led by Lawrence Stroll, transforming into Racing Point. That stage culminated with a historic victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, in his 190th race, a triumph that opened the doors of Red Bull for him.
With the Austrian team, Pérez added five more victories and was crowned world runner up in 2023, the best result of his career, but the title slipped away and that thorn remains. Now in his new stage with Cadillac, the Mexican faces the challenge with renewed motivation: "Cadillac is something that motivates me a lot, it's like building a team from scratch, starting practically from last place and seeing how far we can go together" he explained on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast.
What Pérez values most about this experience is the role he plays within the team: "I feel that here I am much more than a driver, they listen to me a lot in different aspects like development and so on. There are few drivers who achieve something like that in their careers, it's the first time I've had an experience like this" he stated. That influence in building the project allows him to feel part of something bigger than his own results on track.
The 2026 season is not being easy for Cadillac. The results reflect the harshness of the learning process for a debutant team, retirements, discreet positions and the absence of points. However, Pérez keeps the faith, his goal is not immediate but long term.
The promise he made to his parents remains the beacon that guides his career and the Mexican is convinced that someday he will be able to fulfill it. Formula 1 history is full of drivers who never stopped believing and Checo Pérez is determined to be one of them.
