Checo Pérez Defends Cadillac's Progress: 'We Know the Start Will Be Challenging'

With preseason already over, Checo Pérez is ready for his official debut with Cadillac in Formula 1. During the final testing session on February 20 in Bahrain, the Mexican driver showed determination regarding the development of the American team’s car. In the morning session, Checo recorded a time of 1:40.842, finishing tenth after completing 61 laps, about 9 seconds behind Charles Leclerc (1:31.992). Bahrain’s preparatory tests were divided into two blocks: February 11-13 and February 18-20, where Sergio Pérez evaluated the vehicle he will race in the 2026 season.

Checo’s initial preseason assessment

After handing over the wheel to his teammate Valtteri Bottas, Checo shared his first impressions with the media. Despite the times being far from the leaders, the driver expressed optimism about the work done so far. “It’s essential to identify our weaknesses. For now, the car’s balance feels solid. I believe we have a well-balanced machine. In each test, we’ve made significant progress,” said Antonio Pérez Garibay’s son.

Checo also acknowledged that expectations for this adaptation phase needed to be realistic. As Cadillac’s first year in Formula 1, the car is constantly evolving and being adjusted. “We are accumulating many kilometers, which has been crucial for us. We expected it to be a very tough start, but the important thing is to see how quickly we can improve from here,” the Mexican added.

Development strategy: Cadillac’s challenge to catch up with the leaders

Cadillac’s engineering team is working against the clock to build a competitive car at the level of McLaren and Red Bull, who have dominated recent seasons. Checo’s roadmap is clear: “The big challenge will be developing faster than our rivals. That’s a huge challenge we will face throughout the year. It’s about establishing solid foundations in the first half, then properly structuring every aspect of the team and maximizing the car’s development. Hopefully, we can get close to them soon.”

Together, Checo and Bottas have collaborated on identifying improvements that now push the team toward the Australian debut. “As a new structure, getting all departments up and running takes time. We just need to go out on track and extract the maximum information,” Checo concluded. He will begin his adventure with Cadillac at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the season’s first race.

The competitive landscape: Ferrari maintains speed

Friday’s session confirmed Charles Leclerc as the fastest driver of the day and the entire testing phase. The Ferrari car demonstrated consistency after completing extended race simulations. Behind Leclerc, Lando Norris with McLaren in the afternoon session and Max Verstappen with Red Bull are leading the projections heading into the season.

In the rest of the paddock, Mercedes experienced a slight slowdown compared to previous days, while Williams and Aston Martin prioritized reliability checks and data collection over lap times. Overall, this preseason finale allowed all teams to refine aerodynamic setups, evaluate tire wear, and fine-tune the last details before Checo and the others launch into official competition in a few weeks.