What next for Perez in F1? Three F1 2026 opportunities ranked

It’s finally official: Sergio Perez has elected to step away from Red Bull Racing before the 2025 Formula 1 season. But what’s next for the Mexican driver?

Perez’s departure statement was quite vague, leaving open countless possibilities for what the driver may do in the future. But if a return to the Formula 1 grid is on the table in 2026, Perez has a few options.

F1 2026 options: Cadillac

While there are technically four teams with openings so far in the F1 2026 season, one is firmly off the table: Racing Bulls, or Team RB. Christian Horner has definitively ruled out that career path — which narrows Sergio Perez’s future options down to three. But the first of those three options could be promising.

Right now, Cadillac’s incoming F1 program is slated to arrive on the grid in 2026 — but there hasn’t been any word on the specifics of the driver line-up. The General Motors brand has admitted it would like an American on the team, perhaps alongside an experienced driver, and Perez fits that latter role perfectly.

See, Perez has been a regular part of the Formula 1 grid since 2011, and his career has led him down a variety of strange paths. He’s raced for struggling teams, and he’s also raced for the best.

Though things may not have gone according to plan at Red Bull, there’s an argument to be made that Perez’s feedback was perhaps less integral than that of Max Verstappen, around whom Red Bull develop its cars for.

Were Perez to have a chance to start fresh with Cadillac, it could be just the boost his F1 career needs to bring him back into top form.

More on Sergio Perez’s Red Bull departure

Sergio Perez confirms long-expected Red Bull departure

Christian Horner sends Sergio Perez message after Red Bull exit confirmed

Alpine

Pierre Gasly has been confirmed for one of Alpine’s two seats for the 2026 season, but that second seat remains up for grabs. Though the likes of Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto have had their eyes on that second Alpine seat, Perez could very well guide the team back in the right direction.

In 2024, Alpine started off the season in miserable form. Its drivers Gasly and Esteban Ocon struggled to finish races or score points, but a slew of personnel changes helped turn the tides. The highlight of the year was the French team’s double podium at the rainy Brazilian Grand Prix.

But the team hasn’t established a strong driver base beyond Gasly. Jack Doohan will join the fold in 2024, though there are rumours his contract may not last the year. Meanwhile, Alpine are eyeing up Franco Colapinto as a potential option.

Should Alpine face additional problems easing into the 2025 season, then it may not want to take a risk on new talent. Rather, the veteran Perez could help the team forge a new path forward.

Mercedes

The final team without a confirmed pair of drivers for 2026 is Mercedes, though it must be said that this is the least likely option for Perez.

That’s largely because Mercedes has its own young driver program, and because it has invested time and funds into the likes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who will comprise the Brackley outfit’s 2025 lineup.

It’s difficult to imagine a world where Merc would bid adieu to either of those drivers ahead of 2026, though Perez would certainly be interested should something change.

Read next: Revealed: The race that set Sergio Perez on path to Red Bull exit