Sergio Pérez has rejected the claims of Mario Andretti, who stated that the Mexican driver is “a bit rusty” in his return to Formula 1. Pérez asserts that he is “competing at a very high level” with his new team, Cadillac, during the 2026 season.
After being released by Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, in which he had a disappointing performance, Pérez decided to take a sabbatical year before signing with Cadillac for his debut in the category. Despite the challenging start to the season, with no points in the first three races, the driver is confident in his potential.
Andretti, a key figure in the creation of the Cadillac project, expressed his concerns about the state of the drivers, highlighting that both Pérez and his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, have been out of competition for a year and may be cautious in tackling the new vehicle.
However, Pérez maintains that he and Bottas are maximizing the performance of the MAC-26, despite the speed limitations. The Mexican indicates that he has had challenging weekends, with damage to the car, but feels happy with his results thus far. In his view, his performance capability is adequate and he has not had difficulties adapting.
After a more promising performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished on the last lap with the same pace as the front drivers, Pérez expresses his hope of achieving significant improvements for the next race in Miami, which will be a key point for his team in the 2026 season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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