(Motorsport-Total.com) – Sergio Perez returned to Formula 1 in 2026 after a one-year break. The Mexican now firmly rejects criticism from Mario Andretti that he seemed “just a bit rusty” after the break and emphasizes that he is already back in full form. “To be honest, I think we performed at a very high level,” said the six-time Grand Prix winner on the sidelines of the race in Japan.
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After a disappointing 2024 season, Sergio Perez was released by Red Bull at the end of the year. After a one-year hiatus, he signed with Formula 1 debutant Cadillac for the 2026 season. However, the start of the new era was difficult. In the first three races of the season, Perez remained without points, which was not surprising given the expectations for the US team as a backmarker.
The Cadillac MAC-26 is currently about two to three seconds behind the leaders and regularly struggles with technical defects. A small glimmer of hope remains the fact that they are currently placed ahead of Aston Martin in the World Championship.
Nevertheless, Mario Andretti expressed criticism about the driver pairing. In addition to Perez, Valtteri Bottas also returned to a permanent seat after his exit from Sauber at the end of 2024. “To be honest, I think both are just a bit rusty,” explained the 1978 World Champion, who serves as the namesake for the chassis, in the Drive to Wynn podcast.
Perez defends his form
Sergio Perez clearly contradicts this portrayal. “I was very happy with my weekend in Melbourne and with my first qualifying. In the race, we had different scenarios and a lot of damage. So it wasn’t straightforward. Shanghai wasn’t an easy weekend either; I had a lot of damage in the race.”
He believes that he and Bottas are getting the maximum out of the equipment, which simply lacks basic speed. Perez added: “I haven’t had a complete weekend yet, but as far as my performance is concerned, I’m quite satisfied. I was back in the rhythm immediately within a few days after my return. I believe I’m in a good place in terms of driving.”
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Upward trend in Suzuka gives hope
After the race in Suzuka, the Mexican was even more optimistic. For the first time in the 2026 season, he finished a race on the same lap as the leader. In addition, he significantly reduced the gap in Q1: while he was 3.098 seconds behind in Melbourne and 3.601 seconds in Shanghai, it was only 2.171 seconds in Japan.
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“It was quite interesting. When I was driving behind the Williams and the Alpine, I could see that they are not too far away. They are just able to consistently find more and more pace,” Perez analyzed.
Formula 1 is now going into a break in April, as the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix were canceled due to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The fourth race will take place in Miami next month. “It’s clear that we need a break now, and I really hope we bring a big upgrade to Miami,” Perez continued.
“I think that will be the biggest test for the team. We have improved at every Grand Prix. This was the first weekend where more or less everything went smoothly, apart from the problems with the energy delivery yesterday. I really hope we can make this step to compete in the midfield.”
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