Sergio Perez's F1 comeback erased his self-doubt: "I…

Cadillac veteran Sergio Perez says he has now "proven" to himself that he still has what it takes to be a top line F1 driver.

Perez was unceremoniously dumped by Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024 following 18 difficult months during which he couldn't get out of a downward spiral of performance. While team-mate Max Verstappen clinched a fourth driver's title with the tough-to-tame RB20, Perez's confidence gradually took a nosedive, with the Mexican veteran often seemingly at odds with his own team over the how and why.

Following a much-needed sabbatical last year, Perez returned to F1 with newcomer Cadillac alongside fellow series veteran Valtteri Bottas for 2026. While the team's modest early performances, affected by operational gremlins, have made it tough to read too much into the performance of either driver, Perez has made a strong start to his second F1 career.

With that renaissance, the 36-year-old insists he has now proven to himself that he still has what it takes to be among the elite drivers in the world, and that his death spiral at Red Bull was as much down to circumstances within the team, and the pressure he feels his side of the garage was put under, as anything within his own control.

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing (Photo by: Jordan McKean / LAT Images via Getty Images)

"Obviously, when you look at my last six months at Red Bull, you wouldn't think that I'm one of the best out there," Perez said ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. "But when you understand the circumstances I was in at that point, when you see the level of performance that I'm putting in with my team, you realise that I'm one of the best out there.

"At the end of the day, you require the right circumstances to be able to show your talent. In that regard, I'm very pleased I came back and proved it to myself. At the end of the day, as a driver you want to have that confidence in yourself. The way I struggled in my last period at Red Bull, it hurts your confidence."

Having been handed a fresh start at the brand-new Cadillac outfit, Perez said his Imola test in November with a Ferrari was the proof he needed that he was in the right place.

When asked by Motorsport if there was a specific point he realised he still has what it takes, Perez replied: "When I jumped in the Ferrari and I was up to speed within 10 laps after not driving anything, it must have been the circumstances I was in. In the last three or four races, the level of performance that I'm able to put in, qualifying, race pace, makes me feel like the speed has always been there.

"There are a lot of circumstances as a driver you cannot control when you're struggling with so many different [issues]. It's a great boost of confidence and a great example to a lot of drivers that go through it. It makes you feel like 'maybe I'm the problem' and 'I'm not as good as I used to be'. But it's all about the circumstances around you."