Sergio Perez has credited the Cadillac Formula 1 team for reigniting his love for the championship after a year's break.
Following a 14-year stint with various teams, the Mexican driver stepped away from F1 after being replaced at Red Bull by Liam Lawson. He joined the Milton Keynes outfit in 2021 but struggled to extract the same performance out of the car as his team-mate Max Verstappen.
After a few months out of the sport, Perez ultimately signed for Cadillac, which is set to make its debut in the championship in 2026.
During an interview with F1.com, the 35-year-old claimed the American outfit has helped him fall back in love with the series.
"Yeah, definitely [have fallen back in love with F1 again]. 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."
He added: "It feels great. After 15 years or so in Formula 1 to get that refreshment and then have all the energy again for what I see as my final stint in the sport... I have all the energy now to get back to it, to work with the team, to push the team forwards in all areas, on the simulator. It's a new team so we're starting basically from zero.”
While the anticipation is high for Cadillac's entry, Perez is remaining realistic.
“To me, it's a bit irrelevant where we start. What is more important is how quickly we are able to progress. I want to push the team forward from day one. I think we will be able to surprise a lot of people. That's a target for us, to be able to have a strong impact in Formula 1 since day one.
“I see this as my main, big, final project in the sport and I want to make sure that I make it a successful comeback."
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