Sergio Perez to follow in Max Verstappen's footsteps after rental car experience

Sergio Perez has revealed he previously tackled the Nordschleife in a rental car during his Formula BMW days, and now wants to follow Max Verstappen in taking on the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The four-time F1 champion's near-victory last weekend with Mercedes AMG GT3 caught Perez's attention, and the Cadillac driver didn't rule out his own assault on the Green Hell.

Why it matters:

Perez's interest highlights a growing trend of F1 diversions to endurance racing, especially the Nordschleife. For a driver currently in a rebuilding phase with Cadillac, a future GT3 program could offer a fresh challenge outside his day job.

The details:

• Perez confirmed he kept up with Verstappen's race on social media, calling it "quite interesting" and "really enjoyable."
• He recalled driving the Nordschleife in a rental car during his time in Formula BMW in Germany. When asked if he returned the car intact, he laughed: "Not very often."
• Perez also provided an update on Cadillac's season: the team's first upgrade package in Miami showed encouraging signs, but areas like pure load and tire degradation remain the focus.
• "The next big thing for us is understanding how we treat the tires," he said, noting the car can fight for a few laps but then kills the rubber too quickly.

What's next:

Perez will continue to help Cadillac develop as a new team. A future Nordschleife run in a GT3 car seems plausible, but for now, his priority is extracting more performance from the Cadillac package.