Sergio Perez is currently without a seat for the 2026 season (Image: Getty)
has spoken out for the first time since leaving . The six-time Grand Prix winner explained that he is in a ‘dreamy position’, enjoying his freedom and family time after dropping out of the F1 paddock.
The 34-year-old often cut a despondent figure in the garage last season. Perez scored four podiums in the first five Grands Prix, but his form nosedived thereafter, and he didn’t return to the rostrum for the remainder of the campaign.
After ending his year with an eight-race stretch without a top-nine finish, Perez forced ’s hand. and Helmut Marko met with shareholders, deciding to drop the Mexican from their line-up ahead of the 2025 campaign. Liam Lawson was selected as his replacement despite having just 11 Grand Prix starts to his name.
Perez made his first public appearance since leaving at the Leon State Fair, talking to local schoolchildren. Asked if he would return to F1, he replied: “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s too soon to have an answer.
“Everything happened very quickly at the end of the season, so I didn’t expect it. Now I’m in an incredible, dreamy position, which I didn’t even realise I was in, so if you ask me now, I don’t know.
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Perez is now enjoying some downtime with his family (Image: Getty)
“I’m very happy with my life, very excited about what’s ahead. For sure, if I receive a good, interesting project, then I’ll definitely consider it and think about it. It will all come in its own time.
“For now, my priority in the months ahead is to have fun, do what I haven’t been able to, travel, be with my family… In the next six months, I’ll make a decision on what I want for the next step of my career.”
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If Perez does decide to target a return to the F1 grid, his options will likely be limited. The door is closed at , and a move to one of the other ‘big four’ is off the table. Aston Martin will also likely remain a closed shop if Fernando Alonso can resist a premature retirement.
The Mexican’s best bet is to target one of the two seats in the new Cadillac programme. The American squad desires North American representation, and the significant financial incentives that come bundled with Perez’s services may be too alluring to turn down.