Perez spies twin Cadillac promise after 'massive trial' at Zandvoort

Sergio Perez believes Cadillac showed genuine promise during the Dutch Grand Prix — both in race pace and in the leadership of new team principal Marcin Budkowski. Despite a "massive trial" in qualifying that forced him to start from the pit-lane for both the Sprint and the race, the Mexican finished 15th and saw encouraging signs. Budkowski, who replaced Graeme Lowdon during the summer break, was running his first event as team principal after becoming a team boss in his own right for the first time.

Why it matters:

Cadillac is the only team still without a point in 2026. Its best result is a 13th place for Valtteri Bottas in China, while Perez's personal bests are 14th in Barcelona and Great Britain. The team's progress is crucial for its long-term project, and Budkowski's arrival could provide the structure needed to start scoring points. Zandvoort offered a glimpse of that potential.

The details:

• Perez started both the Sprint and the grand prix from the pit-lane — the Sprint due to technical issues, the race after a set-up change. He said qualifying was "a massive trial" and that starting from the pit-lane was the right call.
• Despite losing track position, he reported strong pace in the first stint. He was stuck behind Bottas but managed to overcut him, and the second stint looked "quite a lot more promising."
• A late VSC hurt his chances, but he still finished ahead of Williams after their issue.
• On Budkowski: "He is a great leader. He is working flat out, and from what I can see, he is very soon going to start putting all of his input into the project, so I'm very happy with how he is leading the team."

What's next:

Budkowski is just getting started, and Perez expects his influence to grow over the coming races. Cadillac's search for a first point continues, and if the Zandvoort performance carries over, the team could start putting pressure on the teams ahead. The next opportunity comes at Monza, where the low-downforce layout could suit the car's straight-line speed.