Sergio Perez Praises Herta’s Progress at Cadillac Amid Valtteri Bottas Future Speculation
Sergio Perez has praised the work of Cadillac F1 test driver Colton Herta, highlighting the 26-year-old driver’s growing confidence as the team continues to evaluate its options for the second seat. The Mexican has recently signed a multi-year contract extension with Cadillac that runs through 2029.
However, the team’s second seat for 2027 remains a subject of speculation, with Valtteri Bottas currently occupying the seat.
“Well, I think he is doing a good job,” Perez told reporters during the Mexico media day about Herta’s growth. He is bringing good feedback to the team, good information, which is all what we need from him.
“Obviously, doing FP1s is always very difficult to show your speed or to show the level that you are at. But now I think that he is having more time in the car, in the simulator, so we’re starting to see more of his speed.”
Herta has been building his experience with Cadillac through simulator work and Formula 1 practice outings.
Sergio Perez Leaves Cadillac’s Second Seat Decision to Team Principal
Despite praising Herta’s progress, Perez made it clear that the final decision regarding Cadillac’s second driver is not his responsibility. He pointed towards team principal Marcin Budkowski as the person who will ultimately determine the team’s 2027 lineup.
“Obviously, it’s not my decision. It will be down to Marcin to decide who they want in the car,” Perez said.
After missing the 2025 season, Bottas got an opportunity to return to F1 with Cadillac, which made its debut in the sport in 2026. The 37-year-old has struggled to find pace and is yet to score a single top-10 finish in 18 races this season.
Speaking about his teammate, Sergio Perez said that the Finnish driver has been unfortunate in certain races but pointed to his performance at last weekend’s race.
“I’m also working really well with Valtteri. I think he’s been very unfortunate in a few races. I think in Austin he showed very strong pace. So yeah, it’s not an easy decision for the team,” Perez concluded.
Sergio Perez Arrives in Mexico for Milestone Race
The 36-year-old driver is set to take part in the 300th race of his F1 career in front of his home crowd at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend. He has revealed a special helmet design for the milestone race.
The helmet features traditional Mexican art, with geometric shapes and stylised figures covering much of its surface.
Watch the helmet come to life in this clip:
Sunday’s Mexico race will mark his 10th appearance at his home track, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
The Mexico race weekend kicks off with FP1 on October 30 at 12:30 PM, followed by FP2 at 4 PM. The action resumes on Saturday with FP3 and qualifying before concluding with the main event on November 1 at 2 PM local time.
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