Sergio Perez offers insight into 2025 sabbatical: 'I still lacked time'

Sergio Perez has revealed that he "lacked time" to do all he wanted during his one-year sabbatical from Formula 1 following his Red Bull exit.

The Mexican driver spent 2025 off the grid after parting ways with Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, following a prolonged run of poor results.

It offered Perez a rare opportunity to travel and spend quality time with his young family before throwing himself back into the world of F1.

At the end of August last year, Cadillac announced it had signed Perez and Valtteri Bottas, resulting in the former spending much of his time in the United Kingdom with F1’s newest team.

Perez soon found himself in the simulator and later behind the wheel of an F1 car during a private test in an older Ferrari.

His switch to Cadillac for the upcoming season brought a premature end to his sabbatical, although he still enjoyed his time away.

Asked what he got up to across his season out of F1, Perez told the Cracks podcast: "Man, it flew by!

"I travelled a lot. I went to Africa twice - I loved it. I loved Africa: its culture, tranquillity, landscapes, and animals. I can’t wait to go back soon. But, well, now it’ll be harder over the next few years, at least.

"I enjoyed [time with] my kids a lot - many trips with them and with friends. I spent more than three weeks in one place, something I’d never done in my life.

"But I still lacked time for many things. I wanted to use this year to organise my family office more and to dedicate more time to golf. I couldn’t do that as much.

"In the end, I ended up working much more than I thought. And when I realised it, I was already back. I had a commitment with the team (Cadillac). So it flew by, but I also learned a lot from the sport.

"And the main thing we have to do in life is enjoy what we do, because we’re so competitive. To achieve things, you’re always thinking about races, your next contract, your next race, your next win. 

"You’re constantly focused on what’s next, because that’s how Formula 1 is, and that’s how your life becomes. So you forget, a bit, the main thing: enjoying the journey."