Though Ford CEO Is A Fan Of Sergio Pérez, He’s Going To Cadillac

Back when the Red Bull Racing (RBR) partnership with Ford was just a concept, Ford CEO Jim Farley showed up to discussions sporting a Sergio “Checo” Pérez hat to prove that his interest in the team extended to its drivers, too. But last year, RBR dropped Pérez, cutting their partnership short before he would ever take the wheel of anything bearing a Ford logo. To add insult to injury, Pérez is playing for the other team, joining General Motors and the Cadillac F1 team in 2026.

Cadillac dropped the news on August 26^th, 2025, setting its driver lineup for the 2026 racing season. Pérez will race alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas under the GM banner next year, bringing a cumulative experience of over 500 Grand Prix starts, over 100 podiums, and expertise on the development side of things, too.

“Joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team is an incredibly exciting new chapter in my career,” Pérez said. “From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project. It’s an honor to be part of a building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight at the very front. Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.”

F1 star Max Verstappen is sticking with RBR, though, despite rumors to the contrary. That means he’ll be the face of the Ford F1 program next year, along with Yuki Tsunoda, who replaced Liam Lawson after he replaced Pérez.

Even though Farley is a fan of Pérez, he has repeatedly stated that Ford is committed to the tech and the venture of F1 racing, not specific team members. That sentiment was recently put to the test when Team Principal Chris Horner was unexpectedly cut from Red Bull after over two decades with the team, but Ford shows no signs of altering its plans.