Sergio Perez has made it clear that he plans to walk away from F1 on his own terms and 'with a big smile'. The Mexican racer spent the 2025 season on the sidelines after he was dropped by Red Bull in December last year.

At the time, Perez refused to confirm whether or not he would pursue a return to the F1 grid, but after spending time away from the spotlight, the 35-year-old rediscovered his hunger for the sport. After months of negotiations, he signed a contract to drive with the new Cadillac squad for the 2026 season and beyond.

"I didn't feel at the time [but I needed the break]," Perez told F1. "When you are in the sport, you are carried away with the fact that you are always thinking about your next year, your next race, your next contract. It's like you are in automatic mode. But once you are forced to step out of it like I was, you realise a lot of things and you see the sport different."

Asked whether or not he has fallen back in love with the sport since quitting the grid at the end of 2024, he replied: "Yeah, definitely. You have to remember that my last six months at Red Bull were very difficult for myself in all areas.

"I started to have a bit of demotivation with the sport, and I cannot let that happen because this is a sport that gave me everything. The day that I leave the sport, I want to leave it with a big smile and a lot of respect because the sport has given me everything."

Looking back at his break from the sport, Checo noted the moment when he realised that he was still wrapped up in the F1 circus. "In the beginning, the first couple of months were great," he explained. "I realised that I missed [F1] because I kept following it. I kept waking up for the races.

"I could see what was happening - I was talking to friends that were in the paddock, and I realised that probably I missed it more than I thought. And then when the conversation started with Cadillac and we could see that passion for racing, then, yeah, I felt like I still have something left in me."

When he returns to the grid next year, Perez won't be able to relax. Cadillac are putting Colton Herta through an extensive testing programme alongside his Formula Two campaign, making it clear that, should the former IndyCar icon impress, Checo and Valtteri Bottas will be auditioning to keep their seats for 2027 and beyond.