Cadillac tells Perez to 'control expectations' after disappointment verdict

Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski has responded to Sergio Perez's criticism of the team's form, urging the Mexican to temper his expectations as the outfit shifts focus to its 2027 car. Perez had admitted to "a lot of disappointment" within the team over its lack of progress, but Budkowski says that's the reality of F1's seasonal cycle.

Why it matters:

Cadillac's first year in F1 was always going to be a learning curve, but the lack of visible progress has tested patience. With the development pipeline drying up and resources diverted to fixing reliability, the squad risks falling further behind unless the 2027 car delivers. Budkowski's response signals a pragmatic approach to a season now about damage limitation.

The details:

• Perez recently voiced "a lot of disappointment" with the team's lack of progress.
• Budkowski revealed he told Perez: "I think I need to control the expectations a little bit" after the Mexican asked what he'd do for Zandvoort.
• The team has been battling brake reliability issues, forcing resources away from performance upgrades.
• "We've switched the resources mostly to next year," he said. "We have a development pipeline that's slowly drying out."
• "A lot of our resources have also been, unfortunately, busy fixing our reliability issues rather than working on performance items," he added. "So naturally, the development is plateauing."
• Still, Budkowski insists there's performance to extract this year, but the priority is the 2027 car.

What's next:

With the remainder of 2026 likely to be a struggle, Cadillac's real progress will be measured by the 2027 car. Budkowski's message is clear: patience is required, and the big step forward is still a year away.