Sergio Perez‘s Formula 1 journey with Red Bull Racing has come to an end, but the big question remains: Is this really goodbye to F1 for good?
His father says yes, but he’s been wrong before about his son’s career moves.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner dropped an interesting hint on Wednesday, calling it a “sabbatical” rather than retirement. That’s got people talking about what’s next for the Mexican driver.
Perez had originally planned to race until 2026, but his options are looking pretty limited. The top teams aren’t likely to come calling, which means he’d need to look at middle-of-the-pack teams if he wants to stay in F1.
One really interesting possibility? The new Cadillac team.
They’re looking for an experienced F1 driver as they get ready to join the sport, and Perez could be exactly what they need. He brings tons of racing knowledge, plus he’s a sponsorship goldmine. Having a Mexican driver would be huge for Cadillac’s car sales in North America.
But let’s be real – most current F1 teams probably aren’t looking to sign Perez as a main driver for 2026. They might want him as a reserve driver though, kind of like what Valtteri Bottas is doing with Mercedes next year. Plus, he’d be amazing as a team ambassador, bringing in those valuable sponsorship deals.
If F1 doesn’t work out, Perez has some pretty exciting options in other racing series.
IndyCar would love to have him – it’s super popular in Mexico, and his presence would make it even bigger. The only question is whether he’d want to tackle those super-fast oval tracks.
There’s also IMSA, America’s version of endurance racing, which would definitely welcome him with open arms.
Right now, Perez has time to think things through. All the good seats are taken for 2025, so any comeback wouldn’t happen until 2026 anyway.
At 33, he’s still got plenty of racing years ahead of him. The real question is: where will we see Checo next?
