Perez dismisses Andretti's 'rusty' driver claim as Cadillac F1 struggles continue

Sergio Perez has firmly rejected comments from Cadillac F1 director Mario Andretti that he and teammate Valtteri Bottas are "rusty" after a year away from the sport. Perez pointed to his qualifying performance and race pace as evidence he has returned at a high level, despite Cadillac's challenging start to the 2026 season marked by reliability issues and on-track incidents.

Why it matters:

The public exchange highlights the internal and external pressures facing the new Cadillac F1 project. Andretti's comments, intended to explain the team's early struggles, were perceived as a public critique of his driver lineup's readiness. Perez's strong rebuttal defends his professional standing and shifts the focus toward the team's operational and technical challenges, which are common for any new entrant but crucial to resolve quickly to build momentum.

The details:

• Andretti's initial assessment, given ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, suggested both Perez and Bottas were "being very careful" after a season out of F1, implying a lack of aggressive running to avoid creating extra work for the team.
• Perez countered by highlighting his immediate pace and a disrupted but promising personal performance.
  • He cited satisfaction with his weekend in Melbourne, specifically his first qualifying session back.
  • He explained that his races have been compromised by external factors, including "a lot of damage" in Melbourne and Shanghai, and a deployment issue in China.
• The Data Disagrees: The statistics support Perez's argument. He currently leads Bottas 2-1 in their qualifying head-to-head and holds an average pace advantage of 0.067 seconds.

What's next:

The focus for Cadillac will now squarely return to solving its car's reliability and performance issues on track. For Perez, maintaining his qualifying edge over Bottas and converting cleaner race weekends into points will be the most effective way to silence any lingering doubts. The team's development trajectory and how quickly it can move from a backmarker to a consistent midfield contender will be the true test, far more than any perceived driver rust.