Sergio Perez says the struggles skilled by second drivers at Crimson Bull present he has nothing to show on his return to System 1 with Cadillac.
Cadillac introduced that its first driver line-up will consist of Perez and Valtteri Bottas when it joins the grid in 2026, bringing collectively two drivers with a mixed 16 victories and 527 race begins. Whereas Bottas has been with Mercedes as a reserve driver this yr, Perez returns after being dropped by Crimson Bull late final season, whereas the 2 drivers to comply with him – Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda – have each additionally struggled.
“I do not really feel like there’s something to show, not simply due to the present drivers or the following drivers that had been in my seat, however even earlier than that,” Perez stated. “Now everybody forgets about it, nevertheless it’s been a really tough place to be in, to always be adapting, to construct confidence mentally.
“It is a very distinctive problem. And I do not assume I’ve something to show, whenever you see like the quantity of factors that they’ve scored, it is like 5 factors in the whole season. So I do not assume I’ve acquired something to show in that regard.
“To me, it is extra… coming again to benefit from the sport. I need to benefit from the sport, the game that I really like, the game that has given me a lot. I could not afford to go away the way in which I left the game, and this is the reason I am coming again with this new venture. I hope it is a very profitable one, however amongst that, greater than something, I need to get pleasure from this comeback.”
Perez has not been concerned in System 1 this season and says the break was wanted to assist him uncover what would enticed him to return, citing the distinctive problem of Cadillac’s new entry as notably motivating.
“For me, it was essential to have this break day of the game, particularly as a result of it solely grew to become clear in the direction of the tip of the yr that I used to be not going to proceed with Crimson Bull. So as a substitute of leaping into one thing only for staying on the grid, I wanted that point. That point again to disconnect myself from the game a bit and to grasp what I really need subsequent in my profession.
“It wasn’t very clear for me to start with, particularly the primary couple of months, what I needed to do subsequent. And the extra I used to be speaking to the Cadillac staff, the extra it grew to become obvious that that is what excites me to come back again, it is the venture itself. It is not simply going again to the grid with a daily staff to battle for podiums and races and factors. This can be a entire venture. The dynamic, I really feel, is completely different.
“And I spotted that I get pleasure from coaching! I at all times thought I hated it. However this time that I had off, it made me understand that I actually get pleasure from coaching. So I have been in the identical match [shape]. Clearly, I have not pushed something for some time aside from karting with my son. However there’s some plans with the staff to check a System 1 automotive earlier than the tip of the yr.
“And clearly subsequent yr with a lot testing that we will have, it will make that mud go away extraordinarily rapidly. I do know what System 1 is about, and I can be able to ship from the primary race onwards.”
