Sergio Perez is evaluating his options for a 2026 return to the Formula 1 grid after losing his Red Bull seat at the end of last season, with new outfit Cadillac not the only ones interested
Sergio Perez has held talks with Alpine over a potential return to the Formula 1 grid. That is despite new outfit Cadillac making the Mexican a top target for their new project which kicks off when they become the sport’s 11th team from next season.
Perez is without a seat this year despite signing a contract extension with Red Bull in the middle of last season. However, his form declined dramatically including just one top-five finish in the last 19 races and he was dropped at the end of the year.
He has been spending time away from the F1 paddock in the months since, but it is clear that Perez is not yet ready to retire from the sport. The 35-year-old is assessing his options ahead of a possible return to the grid in 2026.
Cadillac have made him one of their top targets and have been in discussions with his representatives. But it seems they are not the only ones interested in having the talents of the six-time F1 race winner at their disposal.
As reported by The Race, Perez has also held initial talks with Alpine. Flavio Briatore is keen to put together the best driver line-up he can find ahead of 2026, evidenced by his brutal decision to axe Jack Doohan just six races into the season.
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Franco Colapinto will drive for the team at the next race, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola next Sunday. But he too has only five races to prove he deserves more time with Doohan retained as a reserve and could potentially be parachuted back in.
But Perez represents a far more experienced option than either of them. And though talks with Cadillac are understood to be more advanced, Alpine is likely to be seen as a more attractive option given they are likely to be more competitive in the short term.
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Aged 36, time is ticking on Perez’s career at the top level and a new outfit such as the Cadillac project is not likely to be competitive for several years. In contrast, Alpine are an established competitor switching from being a works team to an engine customer in 2026.
For Alpine, the benefits are obvious. As well as being a more experienced driver than their other options, Perez brings with him significant commercial backing in the form of family friend and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Domit.
Finances are already a factor for Alpine with the fact Colapinto is more commercially attractive than Doohan being one of the reasons why Briatore favours the Argentine over the Aussie. Colapinto’s emerging popularity in South America would help the team to target sponsors in that region.
Both he and Doohan are still very much in consideration for a 2026 seat, despite the start of talks with Perez. And their other reserve driver, Paul Aron, is also a potential candidate.