Evaluating Sergio Perez’s 2026 Season Beyond the Standings
On paper, Sergio Perez’s 2026 Formula 1 championship campaign appears bleak. Driving the fledgling Cadillac MAC-10, the Mexican veteran has yet to score a single championship point. The closest he came was at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he wheeled the car up to tenth position before a costly penalty dropped him out of the points-paying positions. However, reading solely into the classification table fails to account for the operational realities of building an expansion Formula 1 outfit from the ground up.
Notable flashes of competitiveness have punctuated the season. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Perez demonstrated top-10 pace from the opening practice sessions. Later in Singapore, he outperformed teammate Valtteri Bottas, establishing an advantage that nearly stretched to a full lap under challenging street-circuit conditions. These underlying performances have gone unrewarded in the official standings, but they paint a completely different picture inside the Cadillac garage.
“One of My Best Years”: Perez Defends His Form at Cadillac
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Perez pushed back when questioned about whether 2026 marks the low point of his lengthy career. His assessment was unambiguous:
“No, not at all.”
“In terms of results, obviously, but I think people who understand the sport can see the level at which I am driving and the level I’ve been maintaining, the performance I’ve delivered, and they can understand the caliber of the year I’ve had.”
Every prior year of Perez’s tenure in the sport yielded championship points, spanning his 2011 rookie season with Sauber through tenures at McLaren and Force India/Racing Point, up to his departure from Red Bull Racing in 2024. Extending that 14-season streak looks increasingly difficult with only six races left in 2026. Nevertheless, Perez’s primary task has shifted toward rectifying reliability flaws and transforming an entirely new chassis into a viable midfield contender.
“In the end, Formula 1 depends heavily on your car to achieve big things,” he said.
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“Ultimately, we have people who know a lot about this sport, and obviously my team, and they know the level I’m at.”
“I think one of my best years. Without a doubt, in terms of confidence, driving level, decision-making, leadership, without a doubt one of my best years.”
“I am being part of something so important and fundamental in a new project. My voice carries a lot of weight here, and I think that, as a driver, carries a lot of responsibility as well.”
Why This Matters
Transitioning from an established front-runner like Red Bull to a clean-sheet constructor like Cadillac represents a fundamental change in expectation and responsibilities. New entrants in Formula 1 face steep engineering hurdles, cooling challenges, and aerodynamic development curves. While casual observers judge drivers purely on numerical finishes, team executives prioritize setup feedback, developmental direction, and benchmark consistency against experienced benchmarks like Valtteri Bottas.
Perezās focus on his driving caliber and technical leadership indicates that Cadillacās internal timeline is built around multi-year progress rather than immediate top-ten results. Navigating the remaining six rounds will be essential for troubleshooting the MAC-10ās baseline and setting engineering priorities for the car’s subsequent iterations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Sergio Perez scored any points in the 2026 Formula 1 season?
No, Sergio Perez and Cadillac Racing have not recorded any points so far in the 2026 campaign. His best on-track position was tenth place at the Monaco Grand Prix, but an ensuing penalty stripped him of a points finish.
Who is Sergio Perez’s teammate at Cadillac Racing?
Perez is paired with veteran Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac Racing for the 2026 season.
How many races remain in the 2026 championship for Cadillac to score?
There are six races remaining on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar for Perez and Cadillac to break their scoring drought.
