Sergio Perez responded to criticism regarding his performance in Formula 1 in 2026, and rejected the idea that he was ‘rusty’ in his return to the category with Cadillac. The Mexican directly disagreed with the statements of the team principal, Mario Andretti, and stated he is satisfied with his performance in the first races of the year.
Read more F1: Marko comments on Lambiase’s departure and predicts impact on Verstappen
Andretti’s assessment came before the Japanese GP, when the official stated that both Perez and his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, were still readapting after a year away from the tracks. Both lost their regular seats at the end of 2024 and spent the 2025 season away from racing, which, according to the official, would impact their initial pace.
“To be honest, I think both are a bit rusty. They were out of the cockpit for at least one season,” stated Andretti. The director also highlighted that, with the new car, the drivers were being cautious to avoid mistakes and not generate more work for the team.
The Mexican driver, however, countered the comment and stated that performance has been positive since his return. Perez highlighted that he is satisfied with his adaptation and with the pace shown in the early stages of the season.
“To be honest, I think we are performing at a very high level. I was especially happy with my weekend in Melbourne, my first qualifying session and also with the race,” stated Perez.
Read more F1: Piastri reveals secret to feeling comfortable in the category
The Cadillac driver also highlighted that the first events of the year were not simple, due to technical problems and car damage. According to him, the circumstances made a full assessment of his performance difficult: “We had very different scenarios, we had a lot of damage, so it wasn’t something simple. In Shanghai, I had a lot of damage and energy deployment issues, so I didn’t have a complete weekend,” he added.
Even so, Perez highlighted that he managed to quickly regain his pace after returning to Formula 1. He believes he is already in a good moment, especially considering the time away from the category: “But in terms of performance, I am quite satisfied. I came back and, in a few days, I was already on the pace. I believe I am in a good position regarding my driving,” he completed.
The numbers also indicate a competitive start for the Mexican, who leads the internal battle with Bottas two to one in qualifying sessions for the GPs, in addition to having an average advantage of 0s067 in pace.
Read more F1: Audi’s failure in China caused financial loss for Hulkenberg
