Sergio Pérez is set to join his sixth different team in Formula 1 when he returns to the grid for the 2026 season.
He previously drove for Sauber, McLaren, Force India, Racing Point, and Red Bull.
## What happened after McLaren?

Perez’s only year with McLaren came in 2013 before they decided to move on from him.
He eventually ended up signing with Force India.
Perez has now revealed that his other option was Caterham, but he went on to admit that he would have rather quit F1 altogether than drive for the British team.
## Why Caterham was not an option

Perez spoke about his exit from McLaren during an appearance on the Cracks Podcast, and explained: “It was frustrating, it was a difficult year because I was competing with Jenson, a driver who was already well established in the team, a world champion.”
He had a very good year in terms of speed and everything, but they were never able to show it because they were never able to make progress with the car.
So they decided not to renew his contract.
And in October, November, he didn’t have a place in Formula 1, and there were two teams, Caterham and Force India.
## Sergio Pérez's decision

Caterham was not an option, Perez was clear about that, he wasn’t going to go to Caterham, he preferred to stop in Formula 1.
It was a very real option to look for another category, maybe one more year, to see if he could come back, but it wasn’t an option.
Perez joined Force India in 2014, just as Caterham were beginning their season with Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson.
## Outcome of the decision

The team had moved on from Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, bringing in the more experienced Kobayashi to partner rookie Ericsson.
Perez made the right call, he scored 59 points for Force India that year and even landed a podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, none of Caterham’s four drivers managed to score a single point, as noted on November 23, 2014.
Andre Lotterer and Will Stevens also made one-off appearances for the team that season.
The team failed to make it onto the grid in 2015 after going into administration, which only further highlighted why Perez chose not to join them back then.
Perez is now preparing for the 2026 season with Cadillac, alongside Valtteri Bottas.
He spent a season away from the sport after being let go by Red Bull following the 2024 campaign.
Many thought that could have been it for Perez in F1, but Cadillac have handed both him and Bottas another shot at racing.
Following a disappointing 2024 season, Red Bull dropped Perez, and by then, all other seats on the grid had been filled.