Cadillac makes F1 2027 priority as Budkowski addresses Perez concerns

Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski has confirmed the team's resources are now largely focused on the 2027 car, addressing Sergio Perez's concerns over stalled development in its debut F1 season. Budkowski admitted the upgrade pipeline is 'slowly drying out' but insists there is still performance to unlock in 2026.

Why it matters:

Cadillac entered F1 with high expectations, fielding winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Yet the team is still waiting for its first point, and Perez's public disappointment highlights the risk of losing morale. With resources split between reliability fixes and next year's car, it's a delicate balance.

The details:

• Perez told the Beyond the Grid podcast he felt 'a lot of disappointment' and 'a bit of stalling' recently.
• Budkowski, who replaced Graeme Lowdon in August, said Perez immediately asked about Zandvoort — a week after he started.
• The development pipeline is 'slowly drying out' as resources shift to 2027.
• Reliability work has also diverted time from performance upgrades.
• He admitted shortcuts were taken to get on the grid, but sees potential in fixing reliability and operations.
• Bottas's P13 in China remains the team's best result.

What's next:

Budkowski says short-term priorities are reliability and operational excellence, while longer-term performance goals are emerging. He declined to share specifics, but the message is clear: 2027 is the priority, even if 2026 still holds promise.