– When it comes to development at Cadillac, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas apparently have different ideas. While Bottas praises the development of the Formula 1 newcomer, Perez had expected a bit more: “I think we basically haven’t developed enough,” the Mexican said a few days ago.
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For team principal Graeme Lowdon, Perez’s sharper statements are not a problem: “I think that’s quite normal for drivers,” he downplays in a media talk. Instead, Bottas and Perez drive the team exactly to the right extent, as one would expect from drivers with their experience.
“It would have been very easy for drivers to try to push a new team too hard and too fast, and that didn’t happen,” he emphasizes. “You need a certain level of tension to constantly improve, and I think they have hit exactly the right level.”
Photo series: New Formula 1 teams since the 1990 season
When Cadillac entered, many doubts were cast about whether the two veterans were the right ones for the ambitious project. While both bring the necessary experience that a newcomer can use well in the first year, there were also reasons why neither was part of Formula 1 anymore in 2025.
But while Bottas remained part of the paddock and helped with development for 2026 as a test driver at Mercedes, Perez deliberately took a complete break and did not drive at all – for Lowdon “an interesting difference” between the two. “I was curious to see if there would be any pattern in their approach,” he says.
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“I also think it’s no big surprise or shock to say – I didn’t say it, but one could say – that both drivers still wanted to prove for very different reasons that they can operate at the very highest level.”
Cadillac – Qualifying & Race
| Grand Prix | Perez (Q) | Bottas (Q) | Perez (R) | Bottas (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | |
| Australia | 18. | 19. (+0.639) | 16. | Retirement |
| China | 22. (+1.470) | 20. | 15. (+18.5) | 13. |
| Japan | 19. | 20. (+0.124) | 17. | 19. (+1 lap) |
| Miami | 20. (+0.338) | 19. | 16. | 18. (+1 lap) |
| Canada | 20. | 22. (+0.843) | Retirement | 16. |
| Monaco | 18. | 20. (+0.536) | 15. | Retirement |
| Barcelona | 19. | 20. (+0.212) | 14. | Retirement |
| Austria | 19. | 20. (+0.085) | Retirement | Retirement |
| Great Britain | 20. (+0.224) | 18. | 14. | 16. (+0.8) |
| Belgium | 20. (+0.148) | 19. | Retirement | 18. |
| Hungary | 22. (+0.436) | 21. | Retirement | Retirement |
Whether they ultimately do so must be evaluated by the team, as they have insight into the data. At least both seem to operate at a similar level: Perez leads 6:5 in the qualifying duel against Bottas, the race duels are more decided by retirements. But: When both finished, Perez was ahead three times, Bottas only once.
“There were quite different factors behind both, but on the track, both did a really spectacular job considering the circumstances,” Lowdon says, and about a comparison: “It rarely happens that we ask them to do the same things.”
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