Sergio Perez may be a valuable commodity in the 2026 Formula 1 driver market after the realisation that Red Bull’s second car may be plagued by design issues.
The 35-year-old Mexican is yet to officially retire from the sport and is waiting for the Formula 1 driver market to unfold.
There’s a chance that with the 2026 F1 regulations, Perez will be able to find himself a new home and extend his career into its 15th season.
Although his departure from Red Bull wasn’t ideal, he had been in a familiar situation of disappointment before when his old Aston Martin team opted against renewing his contract in 2020.
Three teams have to consider Perez for 2026, including the new Cadillac team, who will be desperate to use his experience.
A Red Bull mechanic said Perez dealt with a huge weight in 2025 before he was dropped, with his Mexican fanbase adding pressure to his situation.
READ MORE: Bernie Collins reveals what she found really ‘frustrating’ about Sergio Perez’s Red Bull F1 exit
Sergio Perez’s father accuses Lawrence Stroll of ‘betrayal’ after Formula 1 seat snub
Back in 2018, the Force India team were on the brink of collapse. Perez took legal action against his own team to save both the organisation and 400 jobs.
Two years later, after being taken over by Lawrence Stroll and turned into Racing Point, Perez found himself without a contract for 2021.
Instead of being retained, despite taking his first victory with the team late in the campaign in Bahrain, he was left to be a free agent.
That’s when Red Bull picked him up, and the rest is history. Antonio Perez Garibay – his father, believes it was a betrayal of his former boss not to keep him at the team who adored him.
“Checo saved the team, I remember that Checo saved the team when the team went bankrupt,” he said. “Checo bought the team and then they paid him with this betrayal. You say ‘Wow’.”
READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s dad causes ‘a stir’ with accusation about Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull before Japanese Grand Prix
Why Sergio Perez may have become a player in the 2026 F1 driver market again
Liam Lawson’s tricky start to life as a Red Bull driver and subsequent demotion without any success has put Perez in a far more positive limelight.
The 22-year-old Kiwi was highly regarded ahead of his stint with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, and couldn’t manage to get anywhere near the points.
Although the end of Perez’s spell was disappointing, he was at least able to compete for points at most weekends.
Perez thinks Yuki Tsunoda will succeed at Red Bull after receiving a long-awaited promotion from Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
He faces a tough job to get near Max Verstappen. None of his last four teammates have been able to do so regularly.
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