Sergio Pérez, driver for Cadillac Racing, took the opportunity to make a joke about the recent comparisons made between the new Formula 1 regulations for 2026 and the popular video game _Mario Kart_.
During the Chinese Grand Prix, which ended with a 15th position for him, the Mexican driver commented via team radio: “Now I need a mushroom. It’s gone. I don’t know what happened”.
Pérez, who recently joined Cadillac in its debut as the 11th team in the competition, expressed his perception of the Overtake Mode and the use of the boost button, which remind him of the mechanics of the video game. “I found it very unrealistic, to be honest,” he said to the press after the race.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the system facilitates overtakes, but without the intensity of a real duel between drivers. “It’s just a button. You overtake and then you get overtaken again. Yes, in a _Mario Kart_ way,” he added.
Regarding the first race of this new season in Melbourne, Pérez stated that, as a fan of F1, he did not find the type of competition satisfactory. “It’s too early to judge these rules, but what we saw in Melbourne did not appeal to me,” he concluded.
Other drivers, such as Charles Leclerc from Ferrari, have also commented on the similarities with _Mario Kart_, noting that the Overtake Mode resembles the mushrooms that can provide a temporary advantage in the race. Oliver Bearman, a Haas driver, agreed that it might seem like a video game, but that the pressure of managing resources like battery adds complexity to the competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
