Sergio Perez claims it is only a matter of time before Lewis Hamilton finds his mojo back at Ferrari amid the impending 2026 Formula 1 regulation change.
Hamilton’s debut season with the Italian marque has not yielded the results either one would have wanted.
14 rounds into the season, the seven-time World Champion is yet to score a Grand Prix podium for the Maranello-based squad.
Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the SF-25, a plight that has been exacerbated by the fact that this year is the first time in his career that he has had to assimilate himself into a non-British team.
That said, Cadillac’s Engineering Consultant Pat Symonds believes that the Briton will be able to turn things around once the 2026 regulations reset kicks in from next season.
When informed about Symonds’ comments, Cadillac’s latest recruit, Perez, echoed his colleague’s analysis.
“I think this era of cars that we’re currently in, with the ground effect cars, it’s been tricky,” he told Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater.
“But, I think, with Lewis, you’ve seen it, he’s done a tremendous job at Mercedes when they didn’t have a competitive car. I think for him, at the end of an era, to be changing teams and getting to adapt has been tricky.
“But obviously, he’s a fantastic driver. And for sure, he’ll figure it out. I think we’ve seen it with many different drivers, that it’s all about adapting a car into a driving style that sometimes it just takes a little bit longer than others.”
Perez outlines expectations with Bottas partnership
Perez himself is seeking redemption after an unceremonious exit from Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season.
And while he is adamant that he has “nothing to prove”, the 35-year-old is also cautiously optimistic about his chances with the revamped technical regulations.
“I’ve done well in previous eras,” continued Perez. “So yeah, I do expect that the new regulations will suit my style.”
Cadillac recently announced that Perez will partner with 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas.
Perez feels that he will be able to work well together with the Finnish driver to boost the team’s chances up the grid.
“We are both very competitive. We are both very, very hungry,” he asserted.
“We’ve seen it all in the sport as well, which I think definitely helps. But we are very motivated to give feedback.
“Obviously, Valtteri is like half in already. I’m really happy to be out of the sport for a year.
“I’m not looking forward to go to any races this year, to be honest. I’m happy to see them from the TV, because there’s a lot of races coming up for us in the next years.”
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