Sergio Perez reveals the first driver to reach out as Cadillac F1 deal confirmed

Sergio Perez revealed Max Verstappen was the first Formula 1 driver to reach out and congratulate him after his return to the grid was confirmed.

After leaving Red Bull at the end of last season, Perez was announced along with Valtteri Bottas to form Cadillac’s first driver line-up in Formula 1 in 2026.

Sergio Perez ‘surprised’ at F1 driver response to Cadillac news

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Despite his departure from Red Bull, Perez made it clear he hoped to return to the Formula 1 grid, with that move now confirmed as he gets set for a new opportunity with Cadillac.

The Mexican confirmed several of his Formula 1 colleagues reached out to congratulate him on his return, though the sheer amount came as a shock to him.

“I was surprised by it,” Perez told reporters after being announced as a Cadillac driver. “A lot of drivers I got messaged by.

More on Cadillac’s F1 2026 driver duo

👉 Explained: Three reasons why Cadillac F1 signed Bottas and Perez

👉 Why Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas make sense for Cadillac’s first driver line-up

“They seemed to miss me. I would say the first one was Max. Max was straight on… team-mates, [Pierre] Gasly, Franco [Colapinto], they did send me a message.

“We have a group where they posted the message, so it was nice to see they’re happy to see me back.”

Verstappen confirmed himself he had been in touch with his former Red Bull team-mate, with he and Bottas set to form one of the grid’s most experienced combined line-ups next season.

Asked about the Mexican’s return to Formula 1, Verstappen told media including PlanetF1.com at Zandvoort: “Quickly, when I saw the news come out, I sent a message to him.

“I’m, of course, very happy for him that he got a seat. You know, he’s a great guy, and we always got along very well, so I’m happy to see him back on the grid.

“How he’s going to perform, I think will also depend on how good the car is going to be, right? So it’s a bit difficult to say at the moment.

“But it’s a new opportunity, and I’m sure he’s very excited for it.”

Perez will have his first opportunity to drive in Cadillac machinery in the first pre-season test of 2026, which will take place behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next January.

Read next: Helmut Marko speaks out on sensational Alex Palou to Red Bull rumour