Sergio Perez has expanded on comments he made suggesting he was “one of the best” drivers in Formula 1, adding ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix that “you require the right circumstances for your talent”.
The Mexican driver returned to F1 at the start of 2026 with the new Cadillac outfit, having spent 2025 on the sidelines after being let go by Red Bull due to lacklustre results the previous season – where he failed to score a podium in 19 races.
During his four-year spell with Red Bull, Perez amassed five Grand Prix wins and finished runner-up in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship standings behind team mate, Max Verstappen.
The 36-year-old stated after the Canadian GP that he was “happy I came back” to F1, and in Monaco during Thursday’s media day he clarified his comments.
“When you look at my last six months at Red Bull, you wouldn’t think that I’m one of the best out there but when you understand the circumstances at that point, and the people that understand performance at the end of the day,” he said.
“When you see the level of performance I’m putting with my team, you realise that I’m one of the best out there and, at the end of the day, you require the right circumstances for your talent to be able to show it. So in that regard, I’m very pleased I came back and prove it to myself.”
Perez and Cadillac enjoyed their best weekend together in F1 last time out in Montreal, with Perez finishing P11 on-track during the Sprint before a 10-second penalty dropped him to P14.
In the Grand Prix, Perez was running P15 before suffering a suspension failure, which meant he was forced to retire.
Ahead of track action in Monaco this weekend, Perez believed the race in Monte Carlo would be the best chance yet for Cadillac to move further up the grid.
“Internally we are really optimistic about this weekend,” he said. “We see this as our biggest chance in the short-term, and let’s see. I think if we are able to have a good Friday it will give us a lot of hope for Qualifying.
“Monaco always gives you an opportunity to shine and that will be the biggest opportunity for us. We want to be able to perform at our very best. Operationally, execute everything we can possibly do and that’s the ultimate target for us.”
