Sergio PerezPlayer·Sergio Perez laid bare CadillacTeam·Cadillac's most pressing challenge following the Miami Grand PrixCompetition·Miami Grand Prix: crippling tyre degradation that prevented the newcomers from challenging for points. The American outfit, debuting in the world championship earlier this year, remains mired at zero alongside Aston MartinTeam·Aston Martin, unable to breach the top ten.
CadillacTeam·Cadillac introduced its first significant car upgrades in Miami, yet neither Perez nor teammate Valtteri BottasPlayer·Valtteri Bottas could capitalize. The Florida race marked the first time both CadillacTeam·Cadillac cars lined up behind Aston MartinTeam·Aston Martin's on the grid. During the grand prix, Fernando AlonsoPlayer·Fernando Alonso outpaced Perez in their duel for 15th position, underscoring the gap to the midfield.
Perez attributed the shortfall to rapid tyre wear. The team opted for hard compounds, a decision he now questions in hindsight.
"We just had big degradation, I think we wore the tyres too much. We chose the hard tyres, but maybe we should have gone for the softs, so that's something we need to analyse. At the same time we need to understand our package better, that will be key in Canada," Perez said. "We need to understand it to find better solutions, and we don't have much time. In my opinion one of the short-term things we need to solve is the degradation. We have ideas how to do that, we'll need to gather all the groups of people together, that will be the most demanding in the next weeks."
The Mexican driver's candid assessment highlights the steep learning curve for CadillacTeam·Cadillac in its inaugural season under the 2026 regulations. While front-runners like MercedesTeam·Mercedes—where Kimi AntonelliPlayer·Kimi Antonelli claimed victory and pole position—dominate proceedings, the backmarkers grapple with fundamental reliability and performance issues.
Miami exposed CadillacTeam·Cadillac's vulnerabilities acutely. Perez battled not just degradation but suboptimal strategy, amplifying the need for rapid iteration. With the Canadian Grand PrixCompetition·Canadian Grand Prix looming, the team faces a compressed timeline to convene engineers and implement fixes.
CadillacTeam·Cadillac's struggles align with broader challenges for 2026 newcomers, including adaptation to new power units and chassis designs. Perez's focus on tyres signals a targeted short-term push, but sustained progress demands deeper comprehension of the car's overall package.
As the season progresses, CadillacTeam·Cadillac must convert ideas into on-track results to climb from the foot of the standings. Perez's experience from top teams positions him to guide this effort, but time presses urgently before the next venue tests their resolve anew.
F1 cars, including Cadillac, Aston Martin, Haas, and Racing Bulls, at the Miami Grand Prix. Icon Sportswire/IMAGO
Icon Sportswire/IMAGOThis article was generated by AI (sonar-pro). Learn more.
