When Sergio Perez lost his Red Bull seat last year, he insisted that returning to F1 was a possibility.
The 6-time winner has maintained that he would explore his options ahead of 2026 – in search of a project that motivated him enough to compete on the grid.
As it stands, Perez is understood to be in negotiations with several teams.
Cadillac’s interest in his services are well-documented, but Alpine are also reportedly in talks with the Mexican.
Sergio Perez attracts interest from Alpine and Cadillac
It goes without saying that Perez’s final years with Red Bull were hugely disappointing.
He was comprehensively outperformed by teammate Max Verstappen, who almost tripled the 35-year-old’s points tally last year.
This obviously damaged Perez’s reputation, who was previously renowned for his strong performances in the midfield.
However, the last few months have seen the dynamics of the market evolve.
Generally speaking, the likes of Cadillac have been linked with Sergio Perez for some time.
In fact, since their F1 entry bid was confirmed, the US outfit was always seen as a logical option for Perez ahead of 2026.
Perez’s experience, coupled with the sponsorship he brings, would make him a very sensible choice for Cadillac.
Crucially, as mentioned by Mario Andretti earlier this year, Liam Lawson’s nightmare stint at Red Bull has promoted some revisionism over how Perez performed last year.
This is not to say his results were acceptable for Red Bull – especially given his experience.
Still, Lawson’s poor results have painted the Mexican driver’s 2024 campaign in a more positive light.
Although Yuki Tsunoda is performing at a notably higher level than the Kiwi, this positive boost for Perez’s reputation remains.
Consequently, in recent weeks, Alpine have also linked with Sergio Perez – as first reported by The Race.
Of course, Alpine became the third team (after Red Bull and VCARB) to change their drivers mid-season after Miami, when Jack Doohan made way for Franco Colapinto.
Colapinto, at the beginning of 2025, signed a long-term contract with Alpine.
However, as Alpine have demonstrated, they can never be discounted from making a bold driver change.
Perez is understood to be on their radar, and will likely continue negotiating with Alpine as the year continues.
As Flavio Briatore continues to assess his drivers, more changes before next season are not out of the question.
Big decisions in the coming months
As the last few months have already demonstrated, things can change quickly in the driver market.
Only McLaren and Aston Martin have kept the same driver line-up from this time last season.
With Cadillac entering the grid next season, at least two new drivers will secure a seat.
Based on the results of Colton Herta’s IndyCar season so far, the American driver might fail to secure the necessary SuperLicense points to race in F1 next year.
This will further boost Perez’s position in contract discussions ahead of 2026.
For different reasons, both Cadillac and Alpine are likely to take their time before confirming their 2026 line-ups.
There is little sense in either team rushing a decision and potentially missing out on a candidate that could emerge later in the year.
As it stands, Perez is amongst the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu in contract negotiations.
Time will tell how many of these drivers will make an F1 comeback next season.
Main photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
