MOTORSPORT – FORMULA One star Sergio Perez stressed yesterday on the importance of building a strong foundation within their team as Cadillac gear up for their historic debut season in the FIA F1 World Championship.
Cadillac have been trailing their competitors on lap times during the two weeks of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), but Perez remains unfazed, saying that Cadillac expected to go through some growing pains being ‘the new kids on the block’.
“As a team, being new, and putting all the departments in place, is going to take some time,” Perez said yesterday during an F1 drivers’ Press conference held on the sidelines of the sixth and final day of tests at BIC.
“The challenge here will be to out-develop the teams ahead of us. I think that’s a massive challenge that we will be facing for the year, but I think it’s all about the foundations for the first half of the year – to be able to put the right place in the team and to be able to develop the car as quickly as possible.
“Hopefully we can catch up very soon.”
Perez’s sentiments were shared by Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon, who highlighted that he is “extremely happy” with where the team is presently as they head for the season-opening grand prix in Melbourne, Australia, taking place in just about two weeks’ time.
“I wouldn’t read too much into (testing) yesterday – yesterday was day nine of running a Formula One car and today is day 10,” Lowdon explained during a team officials’ Press conference on Thursday at BIC. “We’re up against teams who have been doing this for a very, very long time.
“I’m very happy. We’re working through the programme, had no major issues – just small issues that I think every team in the paddock will have had before.
“Extremely happy with the way that the team is working together. We’ve got a lot of experienced people in the team, as I think people will have seen, but experience of working together as the Cadillac Formula One team is less than 12 months.
“I would say, to sum it up, extremely happy with the team, very, very happy with the platform that we’re building, and can’t wait for Melbourne.”
Meanwhile, Perez acknowledged his delight with being back in an F1 car after being out of the sport for the 2025 season – a scenario that was also faced by returning teammate Valtteri Bottas last year.
Perez is upbeat about the progress the American outfit have made in developing their all-new CA01 contender, which he described as being “a balanced car”.
“I think we are really having a good time being back,” he said. “Every single test, we’ve been getting a lot of mileage, which has been the most important part on us.
“I think it’s all about finding the weaknesses, and at the moment, the balance in the car feels good. I think we have a balance car, we just have to go out there and find a lot of load.
“We knew it was going to be a very tough start, but it’s all about how quickly we can develop from here.
“It’s been plenty of good mileage, and we’re obviously tying up now. Testing is over for me, but tying up the small details will be really, really good coming up for Melbourne.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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