Cadillac arranged an interview for Perez.

      TWG Motorsport boss Dan Tauriss, who is in charge of the Cadillac F1 project, told Sky Sports F1 that at first they planned to bring in a young driver to pair with Valtteri Bottas, but they decided to interview Sergio Pérez — and he convinced them to hire him.

      Dan Tauriss: "We asked Sergio the usual questions you ask in a job interview. Does he want to race again? At what stage of his career does he see himself? What is he striving for? Why does he want to work with us specifically? What does he still have to prove in his career? And Sergio handled it brilliantly. We left very encouraged by his candidacy.

      Before that we had been leaning more toward younger drivers, but Pérez was magnificent. And that experience really sets him apart from those who have not yet competed in Formula 1."