Cadillac would be disappointed to finish last in Formula One, says Sergio Perez
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Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez speaking to the media at Plaza Carso in Mexico City after joining Cadillac on Aug 27.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SANTA CLARA – Formula One newcomers Cadillac may finish last this 2026 season but Sergio Perez will be disappointed if they do.
The Mexican and his equally experienced Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas are multiple race winners who know their way around the world’s circuits and both feel they have something to achieve.
The team, backed by General Motors, make their race debut at the Australian Grand Prix on March 8 with Ferrari engines, having recruited heavily from rivals since securing an entry as the 11th outfit on the starting grid.
“We are definitely not having that mindset (of being last),” Perez, 36, told Reuters ahead of Cadillac launching their 2026 livery with an advertisement during the Feb 8 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California.
“Not with the level of investment that has been put in place.
“We will definitely be very disappointed to finish last. We know we will not win the championship for sure, but we definitely want to make a lot of progress and beat a couple of teams.”
Perez had a year out in 2025 after parting from Red Bull at the end of 2024,
His race engineer at Cadillac will be Italian Carlo Pasetti, who worked with the Mexican at Racing Point (now Aston Martin).
“This is a team that has recruited people from basically all the teams that I’ve been with,” said Perez, who started with Sauber and has also raced for McLaren, Force India, Racing Point and Red Bull.
“I think this team, this structure, has the capacity to go a very long way in the sport. I think it’s going to become a very important team in the future of Formula One.”
Bottas agreed it was a huge project and saw the Super Bowl ad as a clear statement of intent with an expected US television and streaming platform audience of 120 million people.
“It was pretty much what I expected,” he said of the launch plan. “From the beginning I knew the team is going all in. And of course we’re trying to reach new fans. They always said from the top that they were going large on everything.
“But it’s pretty cool... that’s going to reach quite a few eyeballs, which is good.”
Bottas said it would take time for the on-track performance to match the ambition and he was trying to take “all the best bits” from his years with Williams, Mercedes and Sauber.
“I’m prepared that it could be a tough start,” said the Finn. “And I don’t mind if we don’t start in a great way. Of course I want to. But if we don’t, then that’s where we are.
“It’s not really where we start from, it’s where we end up together. And that's the motivation.” REUTERS
