May 2 (GMM) Sergio Perez says he wants to extend his Formula 1 career well beyond his current deal after returning to the grid in 2026.
The Mexican, now 36, is back with Cadillac after a difficult exit from Red Bull and a year on the sidelines in 2025.
“Fantastic!” he told Bild newspaper when asked what it feels like to have returned. “I realise how much I enjoy the competition.
“It feels great to work with a team. I still have plenty of that energy you put into a race weekend.”
“So much so that I’ve changed my plans. When I came back to Formula 1, I thought it would be a short chapter. But now I want to stay longer.”
“I’m driving at a high level, I can still keep up.”
Perez, whose current contract runs for two years, is now aiming further ahead.
“My contract here runs for two years. But I’m thinking more along the lines of four,” he said.
“As long as I’m competitive, I’ll continue. And my family has to be on board. They are. My wife and children are very happy that I’m back in Formula 1.”
Despite his renewed motivation, Perez is critical of the current generation of cars.
“I don’t really like the changes. It’s become a completely different Formula 1, one we all have to get used to,” he said.
“But I believe that together we could create a better sporting product than we currently have.”
“I understand the direction the sport needs to go in to remain economically attractive. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
“Ultimately, we’re here because we love racing. And I feel we’ve lost a bit of that passion.”
He also echoed widespread concerns about energy management.
“This makes Formula 1 less fun than it used to be,” Perez said.
“The rules are being changed a bit now because that’s what we drivers wanted. But those in charge need to listen to us better – there are other things we want to change.”
Reflecting on his career, Perez singled out Max Verstappen as his strongest teammate.
“Max Verstappen is number one,” he said.
“But he isn’t that far ahead. Of course, he’s a very special talent, but if we’d all had a car we felt 100 percent comfortable in, we would all have been very close.”
Looking ahead, Perez set modest but clear ambitions for his new team.
“To leave other teams behind us,” he said. “If we, as a new racing team, manage to do that, it would be fantastic.”
“I dream of beating two or three established teams.”
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