James Vowles now disagrees with Sergio Perez about Cadillac’s chances in their first Formula 1 season

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The 2026 season will see Formula 1 introduce a new regulation set, as well as introduce a brand new constructor to the grid, with James Vowles and Sergio Perez holding opposing views on how the new Cadillac constructor will fare in their maiden season.

Cadillac finally announced their driver line-up for the 2026 F1 season during the summer break in August, with Perez making a return to the grid alongside the current reserve driver for Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas.

The American constructor has been hard at work since the announcement of their introduction to F1 was formalised, building a chassis that will house Ferrari engines after the Italian team struck a deal with Cadillac to supply power units to the team until 2028.

However, the big question mark is regarding the performance of Cadillac’s maiden F1 challenger and where it will slot into the current pecking order of the grid.

Due to their engine being supplied by the most established team in the sport, Ted Kravitz believes Red Bull may suffer as much as Cadillac. The Milton Keynes-based team are producing their own engine for the very first time, through their Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains division.

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

James Vowles thinks Cadillac will ‘struggle’ during their maiden season in F1

James Vowles has ample experience in knowing what it takes to turn a new entry into a championship-winning team, through his experience at Mercedes, which resulted in one of the most dominant periods that the sport has ever seen.

Now team principal at Williams, the former strategist is currently in the midst of trying to return the Grove-based outfit to their glory days of the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Vowles highlighted his pessimism about Cadillac’s chances of hitting the ground running when asked about his feelings of an 11th team joining the grid.

“The bits I said publicly on it were what we spoke about our loss, you know what our losses are,” Vowles replied. “Let’s get to the point where this sport is survivable, where you have 10 teams making at least break-even.

“I’m not talking profit, just break even. And that was my ask. I think it’s a bit early to bring them in. I think Cadillac, on the converse, is a strong brand and a good brand to bring in.

“As a result, they’re going to struggle, though. That’s my belief of it. It is hard now in modern-day Formula 1 to be competitive.”

Under Vowles’ leadership, Williams is currently enjoying their most fruitful season in F1 since 2016. The team are currently fifth in the constructors’ standings on 101 points, with Carlos Sainz’s podium in Baku serving as the first top-three finish for the team with the Brit in charge.

READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties

Sergio Perez is optimistic about Cadillac’s chances of ‘winning points’ in their debut F1 campaign

Perez, on the other hand, is much more optimistic about his new team’s chances, partly owing to the fact that he will be a crucial factor in whether or not the team manages to secure world championship points in their debut term.

Speaking in a press conference before an appearance at a Baseball game in California, the Mexican driver revealed his expectations for 2026, telling journalists, via ESPN, “The goal is to arrive ready as a team for the first race.

“If we achieve that, I believe the potential is immense. A year of Formula 1 means lots of races; we’ll evolve. In the meantime, we need to be a solid team. I’m sure we’re going to surprise and that we can win points early in the season.”

Team principal Graeme Lowdon revealed that Cadillac are the first team to test the new 2026 chassis in line with the rigorous tests that the FIA undertake before they are approved to be raced in.

Whilst that isn’t a sufficient benchmark to suggest that they will be competitive, it is a positive development for the team, as many thought Cadillac would need to draw from outside suppliers in order to save time with passing the FIA’s tests.

With that out of the way, it leaves the timing sheets at the first official F1 test next year to prove where Cadillac may weigh up against their new on-track rivals.