Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez insists he does not have a point to prove after he was unveiled by Formula One’s new team Cadillac.

Perez will line up alongside Lewis Hamilton’s one-time Mercedes wingman Valtteri Bottas when the American outfit make their debut next year.

Perez agreed a two-year deal with Red Bull midway through last season only to be dropped at the end of the campaign.

Red Bull then moved to axe Perez’s replacement, Liam Lawson after just two races. Yuki Tsunoda, who took Lawson’s seat, is also struggling and faces an uncertain future.

Christian Horner was moved on as team principal last month following a turbulent period for the British-based team.

And Perez, 35, said: “I don’t think I have anything to prove, and that’s not just because of the drivers who took my seat, but even before that.

“Everyone forgets about it now, but it (Red Bull) has been a very tricky place to be at – to constantly adapt and build confidence, and mentally it is a very unique challenge.

“When you see the amount of points they (Tsunoda and Lawson) scored (seven combined) in an entire season, in that regard, I don’t have anything to prove.

“This is a comeback to enjoy the sport. I had a very difficult final year with Red Bull. This is a sport I love, and a sport that has given me so much.

“I could not afford to leave the sport in the way I did, and this is why I am coming back with this new project and I hope it is a very successful one. I want to get back to enjoying the sport and I want to help this team move forwards.”

Cadillac, a division of American motoring giant General Motors, will be powered by Ferrari before they develop their own engines.

They will become the first new constructor in F1 in a decade, and team principal Graeme Lowdon has already warned they are braced to finish last in their debut campaign.

Cadillac have opted for experience with Perez and Bottas – a Mercedes reserve driver this year after his contract was not renewed by Sauber at the end of 2024 – boasting 16 wins between them across more than 500 combined appearances. Bottas turns 36 on Thursday.

Lowdon said: “We will talk a lot about experience, but I should stress, too, that these guys are quick. They have not been hired just because of the number of grands prix they have entered.

“Their experience is important, but these are two very, very quick drivers, and I cannot wait to go racing with them.”