Cadillac’s difficult debut Formula 1 season has taken another troubling turn, with Sergio Perez warning that the American team is losing ground to its direct rivals. After beginning the 2026 campaign hoping to establish itself in the battle with Williams, Haas and Aston Martin, the Hungarian Grand Prix instead confirmed Cadillac’s position at the back of the grid—and its deficit continues to grow rather than shrink.
The arrival of Formula 1’s new technical regulations appeared to offer an unrepeatable opportunity for a manufacturer that committed enormous financial and technological resources to entering the championship. However, Cadillac remains in pursuit while its closest competitors are developing their cars more effectively. The contrast was particularly evident in Budapest, where Aston Martin introduced its extensively revised AMR26 B-spec and moved further away from the American newcomer.
Sergio Perez says Cadillac is losing ground
Sergio Perez became the face of Cadillac’s disappointment after being eliminated in Q1. His Saturday had already been made considerably more difficult by the technical problems he encountered during the third free practice session.
The Mexican driver explained that a gearbox change and his limited time on track had compromised Cadillac’s preparations for qualifying. However, his comments revealed concerns extending well beyond the immediate result.
“I’m very disappointed. We lost practically all of FP3 and arrived in qualifying with very little time to prepare the car. The car was behaving very strangely, and the most worrying thing is understanding what is happening ahead of the race. Here, you only need to be slightly out of balance, especially in the high-speed corners, to pay an enormous price.”
Sergio Perez’s assessment of Cadillac’s wider situation was even more significant when he was told that the team now appeared to have fallen away from the rest of the field.
“Yes, it really does seem that we are losing ground. It has been a very difficult weekend on our side of the garage. There are still many unknowns surrounding the car, and we need to resolve all those small details that can make an enormous difference.”
The setback came during a Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session in which Lando Norris claimed pole position for McLaren. For Cadillac, however, the more immediate concern was its inability to remain in contact with the teams at the rear of the midfield.
Valtteri Bottas finds some encouraging signs
Valtteri Bottas offered a more optimistic assessment after finding a satisfactory operating window for the car on his side of the garage. The Finnish driver was at least able to finish ahead of Sergio Perez, providing Cadillac with a modest positive from an otherwise difficult qualifying session.
Valtteri Bottas acknowledged Aston Martin’s progress following the introduction of its first major upgrade package of the season. Nevertheless, he highlighted that Cadillac remained relatively close to Williams over a single lap.
“Qualifying was clean and we managed to put the car into a good operating window. Aston Martin has made a step forward, especially over one lap, but the positive aspect is that we are reasonably close to Williams. We have to continue focusing on ourselves and maximise the package we have.”
Although Valtteri Bottas identified some tentative signs of progress, his analysis did little to change the overall picture. Cadillac continues to bring up the rear as its immediate rivals begin extracting more performance from their development programmes.
Graeme Lowdon urges Cadillac to stay on course
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon also acknowledged the difficulties the team faced during the weekend. He explained that the problem on Sergio Perez’s car had severely restricted the programme Cadillac could complete on Saturday morning.
However, the British manager pointed to Valtteri Bottas finishing Q1 approximately two tenths behind Williams as a small source of encouragement.
“We had a problem on Checo’s car in FP3 that the team managed to resolve before qualifying. Valtteri was two tenths behind Williams in Q1, but we also saw that Aston Martin made a step forward with its upgrades. They were ahead of us in Melbourne as well, and we will simply continue to focus on consistently improving our car.”
Graeme Lowdon’s message reflects Cadillac’s need to avoid losing sight of its long-term development path, even as the team’s short-term competitive position becomes increasingly difficult. With rivals beginning to benefit from their respective upgrade programmes, Cadillac has been forced to lower its expectations and concentrate on understanding a car that continues to display unpredictable behaviour.
Cadillac’s Formula 1 debut becomes a reality check
For an operation that entered Formula 1 with major ambitions and the backing of one of the world’s largest automotive groups, its first championship is becoming a sobering reality check. The modern era of Formula 1 offers no shortcuts: investment, facilities and financial resources are only the starting point.
Cadillac also needs time, experience and, above all, the ability to develop its car rapidly enough to respond when rivals move forward. The team currently finds itself established as the slowest operation in the championship, increasingly distant from its direct competitors.
Sergio Perez’s warning underlined the scale of the challenge. While Valtteri Bottas and Graeme Lowdon found limited encouragement in the gap to Williams, Cadillac must reverse a trend that appears more concerning with every race. Its progress during the remaining rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season will reveal whether the team can begin closing the gap or risks becoming further isolated at the back of the grid.
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