Cadillac CEO dismisses Williams rumours and backs Perez to stay for 2027

Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss and team principal Marcin Budkowski have moved to shut down rumours linking Sergio Perez with a switch to Williams, insisting the Mexican driver is central to their long-term plans and will not be leaving the American outfit.

Perez joined Cadillac for the team’s Formula 1 debut in 2026 following a sabbatical year after his Red Bull dismissal at the end of 2024. Although he is yet to score a point — a reflection of the MAC-26’s current performance deficit rather than his own — he leads team-mate Valtteri Bottas 9-5 in qualifying head-to-heads across all sessions including sprints, and has been the primary force pushing the team toward the midfield.

The speculation arose amid uncertainty over the futures of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz at Williams, but Towriss was unequivocal in his response. “Checo’s been a tremendous asset to the team. He’s driven very well and certainly has pushed quite hard,” Towriss said at a media roundtable alongside Budkowski. “I’m very confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac and we’re not distracted by the Williams rumours for a second.”

Budkowski, who praised the decision to pair two experienced drivers on the grid, framed Perez’s presence as structurally important for a team still finding its feet in the sport. “It’s crucial in a young team like this to provide that experience and that stability,” he said. “If you have a driver learning and the whole team learning at the same time, that’s too many variables.”

Beyond his on-track performances — which draw on six grand prix victories across 292 career starts — Perez has reportedly been applying pressure internally to accelerate development of the MAC-26. “He’s not only been driving exceptionally well, but he’s been pushing the team very, very hard in the background,” Budkowski added. “That’s the kind of mindset that we want.”

The comments represent the clearest signal yet from Cadillac’s leadership that they view Perez not as a stopgap but as a cornerstone of the project as the team works to close the gap to the established midfield.