Sergio Perez reveals Max Verstappen gesture: 'He was the first'

Sergio Perez has revealed that Max Verstappen was the first F1 driver to reach out after hearing about his return to the grid with Cadillac. The six-time grand prix winner has signed with the fledgling American outfit for its debut campaign in 2026, having spent this season on the sidelines after being dropped by Red Bull. He will partner Valtteri Bottas at the General Motors-backed squad, but it was his former team-mate who was the first to congratulate him on his impending return. The Mexican driver had struggled significantly alongside the four-time F1 drivers’ champion over the past two years, so much so that he was released at the end of 2024, despite being under contract for the current season. However, the relative struggles of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have provided context for Perez’s performances and, by comparison, helped rehabilitate his reputation in the F1 paddock after it initially took a heavy hit. The aforementioned pair have scored just seven points between them in the second Red Bull seat all year, easing Cadillac’s early concerns about signing Perez. Despite spending the campaign on the outside looking in, Perez has remained a popular figure, which has been evidenced by the reaction from his peers to the 35-year-old’s return to the championship. When asked how the other drivers responded to the news, Perez remarked that they "seemed to miss" him. "I was surprised by it," he said upon being announced as a Cadillac driver. "A lot of drivers I got messaged by. "They seemed to miss me. I would say the first one was Max. Max was straight on... team-mates, [Pierre] Gasly, Franco [Colapinto], they did send me a message. "We have a group where they posted the message, so it was nice to see they're happy to see me back."