Whitley: Perez is able to come back and get up to speed quickly.

      Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley believes Sergio Perez has every chance of returning to Formula 1 in 2026. The Mexican driver is named among the candidates for a place at Cadillac, and Wheatley, who knows Perez well from working together at Red Bull Racing, spoke about Sergio's strengths that will be useful to the new team.

      Jonathan Whitley: "I think Sergio is more than capable of coming back and finding speed very quickly in a new team. Sergio had one of the most difficult tasks in Formula 1 last season – he was Max Verstappen's team-mate. And when you're dealing with someone like Max, you have to constantly look in the mirror and ask yourself more and more questions.

      Sergio had more problems with the car than Max, but it always surprised me how Sergio managed to recover from setbacks and come back stronger each time. He has an incredible ability to recover, he gets along well with himself and with the team.

      Perez is very good at technical issues. In conversations with engineers, he explains very clearly and easily how the car behaves. Sergio is a true professional, a very talented and fast rider who is a pleasure to work with."