As Cadillac ponders its debut driver line-up, former Red Bull Sporting Director, Jonathan Wheatley has nothing but good things to say about Sergio Perez.
The Mexican was dropped by the Austrian team at the end of last season, and while it appeared that he did little to save himself, the struggles we have witnessed with both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, and even Mas Verstappen, indicate that it was the car and not the driver.
A 6-time grand prix winner Perez is understood to be under consideration by Cadillac, which has made it clear that while seeking an American driver as it progresses at the start it is looking for experience, which is why the Mexican, along with Valtteri Bottas, is being touted.
Now with Sauber, soon to become Audi, Wheatley, who of course worked with Perez at Red Bull, has nothing but positive things to say about the Mexican.
“I really enjoyed working with Checo,” he tells the official F1 website. “He’s a great personality, great attitude to life, full stop.
“I have no doubt about his pace and his speed,” he adds. “It’s been natural since the beginning.
“He put in some tremendous drives at my former team and I don’t think it’s much of a barrier that he’s had a bit of time off between driving a Formula 1 car because when you know how to do that, you know how to do it.
“I spent a lot of time with him early on because I wanted to get to know him and I wanted him to adjust to the team,” says Wheatley. “What I really liked was he pushed me in my sporting role, pushed me very, very hard. He made me question whether I was putting every bit of effort in, not that he was criticising, but he would challenge you in a positive way and I enjoyed it.
“I think it helped motivate me to become better at my job,” he adds, “and I’d like to think maybe it was reciprocal and the work that we did together made him better at his.
“He’s fully focused on performance and what more do you want from a driver?
Cadillac team boss, Graeme Lowdon has admitted that along with Perez he has also held talks with Bottas.
