Sergio Perez appears ‘more concerned’ than Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac ahead of 2026 F1 season

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Sergio Perez is said to be expressing concern about Cadillac ahead of their debut season in Formula 1 in 2026.

The American outfit have a huge task ahead of them in 2026 as they join the grid with an entirely new project. Cadillac went with an experienced driver pairing of Perez and Valtteri Bottas to help them get through their debut season.

But after pre-season testing, the general consensus is that Cadillac may be struggling towards the back to begin with, and Perez has his concerns about the team.

The team racked up decent mileage during pre-season, but it was not without its problems. Perez encountered ‘a lot of issues’, which Cadillac have worked tirelessly to resolve.

Will Buxton says Cadillac staff are ‘exhausted’ after pre-season. Yet, they still have a mountain to climb, as their next task is operating two cars simultaneously at the Australian Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez is ‘more concerned’ about Cadillac in 2026 than Valtteri Bottas

Perez and Bottas both spent 2025 off the F1 grid, with the former being out of the sport entirely while the latter worked with Mercedes as their reserve driver.

According to journalist Julianne Cerasoli, ‘no one is happier’ than Bottas right now. He is delighted to be back on the F1 grid with the sport’s 11th team, and Bottas is feeling optimistic about the new regulations.

However, as Cerasoli says via Formula Latina, the same cannot be said for his teammate: “No one is happier than Valtteri Bottas, I have to say. Valtteri is like this.

What do you expect from Sergio Perez in the 2026 F1 season?

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“Checo seems a little more concerned to me, a little more realistic because it’s going to be a difficult season, but I think he has considered how he has signed with Cadillac, which would be much more difficult than it seems it’s going to be now, right?

“So, very good. Checo has so much experience, he’s a very, very good driver.”

READ MORE: Cadillac driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

David Coulthard is worried about Sergio Perez in 2026

Perez and Bottas agree about Cadillac’s car, in that a lot of progress is needed with the machine if they want to be competitive.

Certainly, the two drivers will provide vital technical feedback with their experience, which will boost Cadillac and potentially put them in a position to score points.

But David Coulthard thinks Bottas is ‘better prepared’ for 2026 than Perez, given that he has stayed in the sport after losing his full-time seat and has Mercedes’ information to learn off.

Whereas Perez is coming back to F1 after a year out, and on the back of a torrid spell at Red Bull. Cadillac will be the fresh start that the Mexican needs, but he does face a huge challenge in 2026.