Sergio Perez says he decided to return to Formula 1 with the new Cadillac team for 2026 in order to “enjoy” the sport again after the bruising experience of his final year at Red Bull.

The Mexican’s racing comeback for next year at F1’s new 11th team was confirmed on Tuesday with Perez signed up by the General Motors-backed entry in a highly experienced maiden line-up with fellow 35-year-old Valtteri Bottas, who himself has been on the sidelines this year.

Perez was dropped by Red Bull at the end of last season after a dismal run of form in their second seat next to Max Verstappen, just months after signing a two-year contract extension.

But having had the time since out of the spotlight to assess whether he wanted to return to F1 for a 15th season, the six-time race winner says he came to the conclusion he “missed” the sport and that he still had “a lot more to give”.

Fresh from Tuesday’s announcement, Perez joined the latest edition of The F1 Show to discuss the reasons behind his return.

“I’ll be honest, it wasn’t an easy decision because I’ve had the privilege to have a fantastic career in the sport and, to be honest, I felt like I’ve done it all in the sport,” said Perez, who is the eighth-most experienced driver in F1 history with 281 race starts.

“But the longer it went on and the more I thought about it, I obviously spoke with my family about it, and we all felt like this is the right thing for us as a family, as a project, to get back to enjoy it.

“The last year especially was very hard. It was very demanding and I didn’t enjoy it.

“I love the sport and I want to go back to enjoy it. This is the main driving factor behind coming back is to just enjoy it and give back a lot of love to the sport that has given me everything.”

Cutting a noticeably relaxed figure in his Sky Sports F1 interview after eight months away from racing, Perez added: “As you can imagine, this year has been a lot better than the previous year, so I’m sure I look a bit fresher in that regard!

“It was a lot of weight on my shoulders the last year.

“I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove because you know what has happened in my previous team has shown already what were the struggles that I had.”

‘Now you realise the job I’ve done in that car and that team’ – Perez on Red Bull replacements’ struggles

The conclusion to Perez’s initially-promising four-year Red Bull career ultimately played out over a turbulent 18 months amid struggles to get on with their car.

A first alarming slump in form mid-way through Red Bull’s absolutely-dominant 2023 campaign was followed by a more costly one when the pack closed up in 2024.

He ended a year in which team-mate Verstappen won his fourth successive drivers’ title by scoring just nine points across the final eight Grand Prix weekends and registering no podiums in his final 19 attempts.

After losing the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren, Red Bull management decided they had seen enough and pursued a change – but the struggles of their second driver have only continued into 2025.

Initial replacement Liam Lawson lasted just two point-less races in the seat before he was demoted back to sister team Racing Bulls, while his replacement Yuki Tsunoda has scored just seven points in 12 races – and none since May.

Asked why he thought the Red Bull’s second driver struggled so much, Perez said: “I think it’s just the whole dynamics of the team.

“Everything is driven… obviously they have a unique talent over there with Max and everything and when you get there, the development curve they have, it’s very difficult for the second driver that is there to basically adapt to the car.

“It’s a very unique car, very unique driving style that I managed to survive for many years but it’s difficult and it’s the way it works, and you’ve seen it with great drivers before my time or even after my time.

“I think Yuki and Liam, they’ve scored like five [sic. seven] points or something like that.

“So it is very, very difficult, very tricky and they’re fantastic drivers, you know, but it’s just the way it is to drive it.

Perez, who won five races in 2021-2023, added: “It’s just a very unique driving style. Sometimes I could cope with it, I could adapt to it, but as soon as there was a variable with the rain, with the wind or something, it just became undrivable and then you start making mistakes one after the other.

“You are losing confidence, but mentally I was super strong and that’s why I survived there for so long because I had a lot of pressure and a lot of you guys were on to me and now you realise the job I’ve done in that car and that team.”

What attracted Perez to Cadillac?

Perez revealed he had been in talks with Cadillac chiefs about a 2026 drive since last December, once it had become clear he would be leaving Red Bull.

He says that the project “excites me because it’s starting from zero and I can put all my years of experience into the team”.

Having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren and Force India/Racing Point before joining Red Bull in 2021, Cadillac will be the first brand-new Formula 1 team that Perez has driven for – although he says the level of experience they have managed to recruit makes it feel more like an established outfit.

Outlining the attractiveness of the team, Perez said: “The ambitions that there is behind it with [chief executive] Dan Towriss, the TWG project behind it, the commitment they’re having.

“It’s not just a new team, it’s a team that is coming full in and you can see with the drivers. They’ve gone for a lot of experience, they’ve done the same with a lot of the engineering team, a lot of the group.

“It’s a new team, but it’s a team that has a lot of experience in Formula 1, people that have done it all in the sport, and this is something great to have.”

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 29-31, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime