Formula 1 News: Perez rejects ‘rusty’ claim as Cadillac duo settle in

(GMM) Sergio Perez (pictured) has pushed back at suggestions he and teammate Valtteri Bottas are “rusty” after their return to Formula 1 with Cadillac.

The ‘rusty’ comment came from F1 legend Mario Andretti, the team’s ambassador, amid a difficult start to the 2026 season for the new outfit.

But former Red Bull driver Perez insists he is already back up to speed.

“As for my form, I’m quite happy. After returning, I immediately got into the groove within a couple of days and I think I’m in a good position from a driving perspective,” he said.

“Honestly, we’re performing at a very high level. I was very happy with my weekend in Melbourne, my first qualifying session.”

Perez admitted, however, that circumstances have limited a clean assessment so far.

“We had a lot of different scenarios in the race, and there was a lot of damage, so things weren’t easy. The weekend in Shanghai wasn’t easy either, so I haven’t had a proper weekend yet.”

Cadillac currently sits near the back of the standings after two races, with Bottas’ P13 in China the team’s best result so far.

At Suzuka, Perez also downplayed a minor intra-team clash in Shanghai that led to contact between the two cars.

“Everything’s fine, we immediately put that incident behind us, especially since overall the day went well for the team, as both Cadillacs made it to the finish line,” he said.

“Now we need to build on that, move forward, and try to make progress.”

Perez added that, physically and mentally, he already feels back at his best after a year away.

“After testing and two Grands Prix, I’m fully back in shape, everything’s going well, all the old natural sensations are returning. And besides, our car isn’t going that fast yet,” he laughed.

The situation is also being watched closely in the background, with Cadillac positioning rising American talent Colton Herta in Formula 2 as he works towards securing a super license for a potential 2027 seat.