Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 comeback with Cadillac is already under the microscope – and he hasn’t even turned a wheel in anger.
As the Mexican returns to the grid after a year away, doubts are swirling about whether he can immediately match team-mate Valtteri Bottas – doubts now sharpened publicly by David Coulthard.
Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, the former Grand Prix driver delivered a pointed assessment of Cadillac’s experienced pairing of Perez and Bottas, making it clear he believes momentum – and recent mileage – could prove decisive.
Safe Hands – But Not the Sharpest?
Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 has been one of the season’s most scrutinised storylines. Tasked with building a competitive car in under a year amid sweeping new regulations, the American outfit opted for experience rather than youth.
Perez returns following a bruising final chapter at Red Bull Racing and a full season completely away from the paddock.
Bottas, in contrast, remained embedded within Mercedes as a reserve driver, logging simulator hours and staying closely connected to the sport’s technical evolution.
Coulthard sees the logic – but he’s not predicting fireworks.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the two drivers they’ve got there,” reasoned the Scotsman.
“It’s not the fastest driver pairing in Formula 1 as established by their career so far, but a safe pair of hands.
“They don’t need to be breaking cars with rookies, you know? They need to be just getting up to speed with the operation of the team and the new regulations and things like that.
“So I actually think they’ve made a smart choice.”
The Rust Question
Coulthard’s measured praise is laced with realism. But where his tone hardens is on preparedness. In a sport defined by rhythm and repetition, Bottas has at least remained in the cockpit environment. Perez, by his own choice, stepped entirely away.
The former McLaren and Red Bull driver isn’t convinced that intensity can simply be flicked back on.
“I think Bottas is better prepared because he’s coming with that Mercedes information. He’s been working with Mercedes all last year, simulator work and the like,” he said.
“I’m a little bit concerned for Perez, who’s really enjoyed the siesta of a year off. I don’t doubt his commitment, but can you switch it back on when you’ve switched it off?”
It’s a cutting line, but it underscores a serious point. Formula 1 punishes hesitation. Sharpness fades faster than reputations.
Perez does bring significant financial backing to Cadillac, an undeniable asset for a new operation finding its footing. But funding doesn’t win intra-team battles.
As a veteran of his own share of garage wars, Coulthard was blunt about how that fight will unfold.
“They’re old enough to be professional out of the car. They know they’ve got to work for the greater good of the team,” he concluded.
“But make no bones about it. They’re individual teams, managers, physios, and everybody who works around them. Your teammate’s success is your failure.
“You’ve got to beat your teammate. And I’ve got to think if we were laying it out now, I think Bottas has a better chance of beating Perez just by the fact he’s more recent.”
That is the crux of it.
Cadillac may have chosen stability over risk. But if Coulthard’s prediction holds, Sergio Perez’s comeback narrative could quickly shift from redemption to reckoning – not against the grid at large, but against the man in identical machinery parked just metres away.
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