Jun.10 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s former boss has backed the sidelined Mexican to make a successful return to Formula 1.
The 35-year-old was dropped by Red Bull at the end of last year for poor performance, but his successors Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have also notably struggled alongside Max Verstappen.
Perez, who is heavily backed by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and other Mexican corporate entities, is currently being linked with F1’s new eleventh team for 2026 and beyond, Cadillac.
“Will Checo be able to make a comeback?” Otmar Szafnauer told the Hungarian portal formula.hu. If you ask me, he’s good enough for that, yes.”
Szafnauer, who led Silverstone-based Force India and Racing Point while Perez was driving for the team, credited the six-time grand prix winner with “fighting spirit, talent and ability”.
“I think he had the same thing at Red Bull,” he added. “He might have lost sight of the ball a little towards the end, but you have to remember that he was up against Max Verstappen.”
Nonetheless, Szafnauer thinks Perez can easily cope with a return to the grid even after a full season on the sidelines.
“I think a guy like Checo, who has such a wealth of experience, could make a successful comeback,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a problem for him.”
The Verstappen factor aside, Szafnauer admitted he isn’t sure what exactly went wrong for Perez at Red Bull.
“Does he have any weaknesses? Well, I don’t know, I wasn’t there at Red Bull – but he was definitely very, very good for us.”
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