Sergio Perez Surprised by Fast F1 Return in 2026

Sergio Perez has admitted he was surprised by how quickly he regained competitive pace after spending a full season away from Formula 1. The Mexican currently holds the upper hand within Cadillac F1 Team during the opening phase of the 2026 campaign.

Perez left Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024 following a difficult final season with the Milton Keynes-based organisation. He then spent one year away from the grid before being signed by Cadillac for the American constructor’s debut campaign.

Cadillac selected experience as the foundation of its first driver line-up by pairing Perez with Valtteri Bottas. Perez has produced the stronger internal performance across the opening rounds, while his form is also reportedly being monitored by rival teams.

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“I think it was really good for me. The way it worked out, having a year off is not easy to come back to the sport,” Perez told media including RacingNews365.

Perez’s preparations for his return included a test in a 2023 Ferrari. Before that outing, he had not driven a racing car for almost 12 months because he chose not to compete in another category until his Formula 1 future had been decided.

Despite the extended absence, Perez required only a few laps and runs to recover his rhythm. The test convinced him that his underlying speed had not disappeared during the break and that the adaptation process for the 2026 season could be more straightforward than anticipated.

“When I jumped in the Ferrari, within a couple of laps and a couple of runs, I was already up to speed. That gave me a lot of confidence,” Perez said.

The introduction of the 2026 regulations also reduced one of the disadvantages normally faced by a returning driver. With every team and driver required to understand a new generation of machinery, Perez did not return to a technical platform that his rivals had already spent several seasons refining.

His rapid adaptation has become an important part of Cadillac’s early Formula 1 programme. The rookie team requires experienced references to develop its car, improve race-weekend execution and identify technical weaknesses, while Perez must now convert the speed of his comeback into consistent results throughout the remainder of 2026.