Cadillac F1 director, Mario Andretti, 1978 world champion, stated that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez are “a bit rusty” at the start of the 2026 season. The statements were made on the Driven to Wynn podcast, before the Formula 1 Japanese GP.
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Bottas and Pérez returned to F1 after being out in 2025, following the loss of their seats at Stake and Red Bull at the end of 2024. Bottas still participated in some sessions with old cars as a Mercedes reserve driver. Together, they total 533 Grands Prix, forming the third most experienced duo in the history of the category.
Andretti explained that the time away requires caution: “With the new technical package, they are being very careful, just to participate and not cause unnecessary work. The initial comments are clear: there’s a bit of a lack of downforce, especially rear stability, and we need to better understand the power unit.”
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He also commented that the difficulty is not exclusive to Cadillac F1: “Except for Mercedes and Ferrari, everyone is looking for how to maximize their situation. As a driver, to extract everything from the chassis, you need to relearn how to use the throttle and all the controls. I’m almost happy to be in the stands.”
The team, the newest on the grid, had a good performance in the first three weekends, although they have not yet scored points.
