Coulthard Backs Bottas as Better Prepared Than Perez for Cadillac’s F1 Debut

Overview

• David Coulthard says Valtteri Bottas holds an advantage thanks to a year of Mercedes reserve and simulator work, warning Sergio Perez may need time to shake off rust after a full season away.
• Cadillac’s pre-season featured a complete Barcelona shakedown followed by one of the lowest lap counts in Bahrain testing, underscoring a focus on reliability and systems learning.
• Perez’s Bahrain times were reported to be more than three seconds off Charles Leclerc’s benchmark and slightly slower than Bottas, offering an early intra-team reference point.
• Coulthard describes Cadillac’s lineup as a safe pair of hands rather than the fastest pairing, aligning with the team’s choice to prioritise experience for its first campaign.
• Perez reports a positive team atmosphere and a balanced car as development continues toward Melbourne, while Bottas casts his Cadillac move as a fresh start with team-first goals.