Sergio Perez has doubled down on his commitment to Cadillac, noting that his contract with the fledgling American team is a “two-year deal” that will extend the partnership into next year.
The 36-year-old has impressed upon his return to F1 and was loosely linked to a move away from the General Motors-backed squad amid its difficult debut campaign.
The loudest speculation came in the form of an unfounded rumour that he could join Williams if either Alex Albon or, more likely, Carlos Sainz sought a new home in the paddock, but there was never any real weight behind reports of that nature, and both drivers have since re-signed with the Grove-based outfit.
When asked about his future over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Perez took the opportunity to put any remaining uncertainty surrounding his situation beyond doubt.
“Well, from my side, it was already clear when I came here. It was a two-year deal. But obviously I want this,” the six-time grand prix winner told media, including RacingNews365.
Perez views himself as a cornerstone of the operation and wants to see his efforts bear fruit, having come tantalisingly close to a first point with the team at the Monaco Grand Prix after a penalty dropped him down the order from P10 at the chequered flag.
To that end, Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss is evidently not afraid to make tough decisions in pursuit of success, following the recent and broadly unexpected dismissal of team principal Graeme Lowdon.
The appointment of Marcin Budkowski to that role has been made to address some of the operational deficiencies that Perez wants to see improved, and it should go some way to remedying the issues F1’s newest team is struggling to get on top of, like its unreliable brakes.
“I see this as my project, and I want to be part of Cadillac for the long term, because when you start something from scratch, it requires a lot of time,” Perez added.
“So, I’m really happy here, and I look forward to continuing here for the long term. I think there will be some discussions later on, and we’ll see what happens.”