Cadillac's Lowdon Dismisses Bottas-Perez Pace Gap as Too Early to Judge

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has urged patience in evaluating his driver lineup, dismissing any notion that the 0.8s gap between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in Canada signals a performance crisis. With just five races into their debut season, Lowdon insists the sample size is far too small to draw meaningful conclusions about either driver's form.

Why it matters:

Cadillac's experienced pairing of Perez and Bottas was chosen specifically for their title-winning backgrounds at Red Bull and Mercedes. Jumping to conclusions based on early qualifying gaps would ignore the team's deliberate experimentation with setups, development work, and limited data correlation. How this veteran duo navigates the learning phase will directly impact the team's long-term trajectory.

The details:

• Perez has outqualified Bottas in Japan, Miami, and Canada — the latter by a notable 0.8s at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
• Bottas scored Cadillac's best result so far with P13 in China, a finish that puts the team ahead of a well-established rival in the championship.
• Lowdon stressed that both cars have been used for different development tests, with setup variations, damage, and run plans affecting comparative pace.
• He firmly denied rumors that Bottas could be replaced before Monaco, calling such speculation "fiction."
• Both drivers are on multi-year deals with options for 2027, though paddock whispers suggest Perez has drawn interest from other teams.

What's next:

Cadillac continues to build its operational foundation, prioritizing mileage and reliability over raw results. Colton Herta's potential Super Licence qualification through FP1 appearances could open a seat for 2027, but for now, Lowden is satisfied with his current lineup. “We’re very happy with both drivers,” he said, noting that their enthusiasm and measured pressure on the team are exactly what a startup needs.

With the team still assembling its data set and manufacturing consistency, expect the Bottas-Perez dynamic to remain a story of small samples and big caveats — at least until the second half of the season.