Mario Andretti slams reporters for trying to ‘drive a wedge’ between Cadillac and Sergio Perez

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Mario Andretti was not happy about his comments towards Sergio Perez being misinterpreted to create controversy.

While Perez has expressed unhappiness with Cadillac recently, there is no denying that the team have done a great job in their first few races in Formula 1.

While Perez has made mistakes to frustrate Cadillac, his ability to consistently finish each race this season has been a monumental boost for the team in their debut season.

Is David Coulthard right to be worried about Sergio Perez this season?

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Perez has communicated his issues with Mario Andretti, who serves as a board member for Cadillac and has an advisory role with the team.

But after seeing his comments about Sergio Perez get misrepresented by media members, Mario Andretti was livid.

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Mario Andretti goes off on ‘irresponsible’ journalists for misrepresenting Sergio Perez comments

Speaking in an interview with Racing Teams, Cadillac board of directors member Mario Andretti spoke about reporters incorrectly reporting his comments about Sergio Perez.

Andretti had questioned whether both Perez and Valtteri Bottas would be rusty coming into the season, while showering them with praise.

However, reporters focused on his ‘rusty’ comments and asked the Mexican driver about his thoughts, much to Andretti’s frustration.

“Someone picked up something from an interview I did a few weeks before the first race, when they asked about the expectations. I said the expectations are somewhat modest, there are so many unknowns, and that’s even to be expected.

“Maybe the drivers, since they were out of the cockpit for at least a full season, will be a little bit rusty. So they picked up on that ‘rusty’ comment, and they went to Checo and said, ‘Oh, Mario said you guys are rusty.’

“That’s so irresponsible because it creates a situation where the drivers think I’m criticising them, when I’m delighted with what they’re doing, quite honestly, from the very first race, since I was there.

“Both drivers showed great form. But nobody mentions that. It’s so unfair for them to try and put a wedge between us.”

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Mario Andretti ‘very hurt’ by reporting on Sergio Perez comments

Andretti spoke further in the interview, admitting how much he values both Perez and Bottas for the experience they bring to the team.

“I’ve said this from the very beginning. We are so fortunate that we have so much experience in the cockpit from both Checo and Valte. I want to put that one to bed immediately.

“I was very hurt by that. When they take one word and spin it the wrong way to try and create a problem. That’s so irresponsible.

“If I have to say something, I will say it to them first before I say it anywhere else. But at the same time, we have seen what we have seen. If anything, with the driver situation, we have no problem there.”

So far, Perez has managed to finish each race this season, something neither driver from top teams like McLaren nor Red Bull have been able to do.

While Cadillac are still not able to land points yet, the progress they’ve made so far this season has been remarkable for a team making their F1 debut.