“They’re a bit rusty”: Mario Andretti analyzes Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas in Cadillac’s F1 debut. Mario Andretti reflects on the challenges faced by Cadillac F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez as they adapt to the 2026 cars.

Mario Andretti, former Formula 1 world champion and a member of the Cadillac F1 Team board, shared his initial thoughts on the drivers chosen by the American team. During his appearance on the Drive to Wynn podcast, he admitted that both drivers show signs of rust after being away from the cockpit of a Formula 1 car for at least an entire season. His exact words were: “To be honest, I think both are a little rusty. They’ve both been away from driving for at least one season.”

Valtteri Bottas spent the 2025 season as Mercedes’ reserve driver, while Sergio Pérez was completely out of competition for a full year. Yet, defending them, Andretti added: “The main thing I really care about is hearing what the drivers themselves think, and that’s the key point.”

Cautious driving to avoid overloading the team

Andretti explained that because of this rust, both drivers are proceeding very carefully behind the wheel of the new Cadillac car. They have chosen not to push to the limit to avoid creating unnecessary problems or extra work for the team, particularly with a completely new technical package. He emphasized that this caution is both understandable and useful during the early learning phase.

From the feedback collected so far, both drivers report a lack of downforce, with noticeable instability at the rear of the car. This is a clear theme emerging from their initial impressions and one that the team is already addressing.

Another point highlighted by Andretti is the full understanding of the power unit and how to extract its maximum potential, including battery charge management. He clarified that this challenge is not unique to Cadillac: “In F1, aside from Mercedes and Ferrari, other teams seem to be in the same situation.” He added that it will be particularly interesting to see, as the season progresses, which team will first solve these technical puzzles.

Relearning everything from scratch

Andretti described the complexity of returning to Formula 1 with the new 2026 generation cars. Drivers must relearn from scratch how to manage the throttle, all the controls, and the dynamics of the car to extract every ounce of performance from the chassis.

Concluding his reflections, Andretti expressed a certain sympathy for Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas’s current condition. He stated that, at this moment, he would prefer to be on the sidelines of the project rather than behind the wheel, acknowledging the difficulty of their task.

Overall, Mario Andretti’s assessment seems realistic: he recognizes the challenges that the two experienced drivers face in their return to Formula 1 with the new American team, but he maintains an optimistic tone about the potential growth of the Cadillac project over the 2026 season.

Cadillac is therefore prioritizing data collection and structural stability over raw lap times in these early rounds. By allowing Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas the space to “shake off the rust” without the pressure of qualifying heroics, the team is building a foundation for the long 2026 campaign. Based on the content of Mario Andretti’s comments, the real measure of the MAC-26 will likely be seen once the drivers regain their full racing rhythm in the European leg.