David Coulthard has suggested that Sergio Perez’s break from Formula 1 could leave him playing catch-up to Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac this season.
Cadillac went into testing under the microscope, with plenty of questions about what they’d managed to put together since being given less than a year to build an F1 car.
Team principal Graeme Lowdon moved quickly to steady the ship, bringing in two experienced drivers in Bottas and Perez for their first campaign.
While Bottas spent his time away from the grid serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver, Perez stepped back from racing altogether following a difficult final stretch with Red Bull.
David Coulthard backs Valtteri Bottas to have the edge over Sergio Perez at Cadillac
Coulthard discussed Formula 1’s newest team on the Stay on Track Podcast, saying: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the two drivers they’ve got there.
“It’s not the fastest driver pairing in Formula 1 as established by their career so far. But safe pair of hands, they don’t need to be breaking cars with rookies, you know? They need to be just getting up to speed with the operation of the team and the new regulations and things like that.
“So I actually think they’ve made a smart choice. I think Bottas is better prepared because he’s coming with that Mercedes information. He’s been working with Mercedes all last year, simulator work and the like.
“I’m a little bit concerned for Perez, who’s really enjoyed the siesta of a year off. I don’t doubt his commitment, but can you switch it back on when you’ve switched it off?
“They’re old enough to be professional out of the car. They know they’ve got to work for the greater good of the team.
“But make no bones about it. They’re individual teams, managers, physios, and everybody who works around them. Your teammate’s success is your failure.
“You’ve got to beat your teammate. And I’ve got to think if we were laying it out now, I think Bottas has a better chance of beating Perez just by the fact he’s more recent.”
How Cadillac and Sergio Perez Feel Heading Into the 2026 F1 Season
Cadillac entered pre-season with realistic goals, focusing on reliability and mileage rather than outright speed. The team completed a full shakedown program in Barcelona, something Aston Martin and Williams couldn’t manage at the time.
But they still faced some early issues in Bahrain, ending up with one of the lowest total distances covered during testing, only Aston Martin logged fewer laps.
The split livery has drawn some negative attention online, but that’s likely a low priority for the team right now. On track, Perez was over three seconds off Charles Leclerc’s pace and slightly behind Bottas.
Perez remained upbeat in his post-test comments: “I’ve really enjoyed this pre-season testing period. The atmosphere in the team feels great, we are going in the right direction, we’ve got a good, balanced car and covered a lot of mileage.
“Every lap we are learning more, and now it’s about developing and putting performance on.”
“There’s always more to do, but I’m happy going into this short gap to Melbourne and excited to get back out on track in race mode.”
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