(Motorsport-Total.com) – Behind Formula 1 newcomer Cadillac lie several years of great challenges: Unlike Audi, which emerged from the previous Sauber team, the squad around Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas was completely rebuilt.
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Accordingly, experienced engineers had to be found and hired. A task in which Perez himself apparently even participated. “Of course, I know many good people out there. After all, I have been in this paddock for a very long time,” says the Mexican in the current Formula 1 podcast Beyond the Grid.
Perez made his Formula 1 debut in the 2011 season, then for Sauber. In the following years, the now 36-year-old drove for McLaren, Force India or Racing Point, as well as Red Bull, before spending a year without a regular seat after the 2024 season.
Sergio Perez tried to exert influence
During this time, Perez tried to use his contacts for Cadillac. “Of course, I tried to get a few people,” he reveals. “But ultimately, you also have to know your position. I am not the one who decides who I bring and who I hire. That is not my job.”
“But of course, I try to exert influence and tell the team: I think this guy would be good for us if he comes, and so on. And all I see is that the interest in Cadillac in the paddock keeps increasing every time. And that is a good thing when you are a Formula 1 team.”
Perez emphasizes that General Motors’ (GM) entry into Formula 1 represents a significant advantage. Furthermore, it is helpful for the team that the US automaker already has extensive motorsport experience across its other brands. Because this could bring new ways of thinking into Formula 1.
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Cadillac driver believes “in GM’s operational concept”
As an example, the Mexican refers to the connection between McLaren’s Formula 1 team and its IndyCar team. “I believe in this operational concept of GM because GM is a manufacturer that has been involved in motorsport throughout its entire corporate history.”
“And the level of competition in the USA is extremely high,” says Perez. “I mean, they have been a great help to us in many ways. We were able to learn a lot from them. I think as a team we have to be open. There is a lot we can learn from other racing series and other approaches.”
“For example, McLaren was able to benefit from its own IndyCar team a few years ago, for instance in the way they handled setup and such things. So there is always room to improve and learn new things.”
“I think,” Perez concludes, “as long as you have your processes very clearly defined and are able to quickly bring an idea to the racetrack, that is positive.”
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