Sergio Perez responds to Mario Andretti's "Rusty" comment, says he's performing at high level

The 1978 F1 Champion, whose name is on the chassis of the Cadillac car (MAC-26), was giving his opinion on the American team's start in the top flight.

Speaking over the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Perez said: “To be honest, I think we've been performing on a very high level.

"I was very happy with my weekend in Melbourne, my first qualifying; I was quite happy with it," he claimed. “In the race we had very different scenarios; we had a lot of damage. So it hasn't been really straightforward. Shanghai wasn't a straightforward weekend; I had a lot of damage in the race.

“I haven't had a complete weekend, let's say, but I think in terms of my performance, I'm fairly happy with it. Coming back and straight away I was on the pace within a couple of days. I believe I'm in a good place in regard to driving," the Mexican explained.

Cadillac could get only one car off the line in Melbourne. Both their cars finished in Shanghai but were lapped, while only Bottas was lapped in Suzuka.

Giving his assessment on Cadillac's performance, Perez said: “It's clear that we need a second now, and I really hope that we are bringing a big upgrade for Miami.

“I think that will be the biggest test for the team. We've been progressing every grand prix; this is the first grand prix that more or less everything has been straightforward, apart from the deployment issues I had. Everything has been straightforward.

“So, yes, I really hope that we can make that step to be in the mix with the midfield," the winner of six grands prix concluded. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)