Sergio “Checo” Pérez has made it clear that the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season has not met expectations for Cadillac. After the first three Grands Prix of the year, the Mexican driver considers that the team needs to make an important leap in performance, and has pointed to the Miami Grand Prix as the turning point.
The Mexican driver has had discrete results at the beginning of the championship: he finished 16th in Australia, 15th in China and 17th in Japan. Although in Japan he managed to complete the race without being lapped by the leaders, the overall performance of the car has been far from competing on equal terms with the middle pack.
Results reflecting room for improvement
The initial balance sheet shows that Cadillac is still in the process of adapting within the grid, and despite this, Checo Pérez emphasized that the team has shown progressive progress in each race.
Especially in terms of stability and error reduction.
“We have been making progress at every Grand Prix,” expressed the driver, underlining that for the first time the overall performance of the car was more consistent.
However, he was also blunt in pointing out the main shortcoming:
Lack of speed, especially in key sections of the circuit.
Checo’s demand: one second faster
Checo Perez’s message to Cadillac was direct.
The team needs to improve by approximately one second per lap to be able to compete with teams such as Williams or Alpine, which are currently in a stronger position.
“It’s clear we need a second one now,” he said, making clear the urgency of technical adjustments to the single-seater.
The Mexican also emphasized the importance of both he and his teammate gaining more confidence in the car, a key factor to improve performance on track.
Miami GP: the decisive test
We have been making progress in every Grand Prix
Checo Pérez
The Miami Grand Prix, to be held May 1-3, will be the big test for Cadillac.
According to Checo Perez, this race will serve as a real benchmark to measure the team’s progress and determine if they can get closer to the middle pack.
The break in the calendar, caused by the suspension of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to conflicts in the region, has given the team more time to work on technical improvements.
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