The F1 weekend in Florida reached a tense conclusion during the 2026 Miami GP as Sergio Pérez fought a losing battle against his own rear tyres. While the early laps showcased a spirited defence, the limitations of the Cadillac eventually hampered his progress as he finished P16.
Pérez spent a significant portion of the afternoon locked in a high-speed duel with Fernando Alonso, a scrap that provided the primary highlight for the American team.
“I think we’re having fun with them [on-track battles]. Especially fighting Fernando [Alonso], it’s always a great thing, you know, because he’s very aggressive and very fair,” Pérez noted when discussing the wheel-to-wheel action.
However, the excitement of the battle was soon overshadowed by a lack of mechanical grip. The car struggled to maintain its pace as the track surface evolved, leaving the Mexican driver vulnerable to the Spaniard.
Emergency rule changes and strategic missteps
The weekend was further complicated by a set of mid-season regulatory tweaks. Ahead of the session, the FIA introduced a package of emergency changes to the 2026 regulations to combat ‘superclipping.’
Superclipping is a phenomenon where cars abruptly lose speed at the end of straights due to battery harvesting. For Pérez, the F1 Miami GP served as a first real-world test for these updates. This included reducing the maximum energy harvest from 8MJ to 7MJ and increasing charging power to 350kW to make deployment more predictable.
Despite these governing changes aimed at smoother racing, Cadillac’s internal strategy faltered. The team opted for the hard compound during the pit cycle, a move that backfired as the stint progressed.
“We just lacked a bit of degradation. I think we were degrading the tyres a little bit too much,” Pérez explained. He admitted that the tyre choice was a mistake upon reflection. “I think we chose the hard, which in hindsight I would have gone for soft,” he added.
Technical hurdles for Pérez at F1 Miami GP
This error in judgement meant the race became a lesson in tyre management under pressure. Pérez stressed that “understanding this package will be key, you know, to make some more progress coming to Canada, because we need to understand this package more and try to bring better solutions.
“We don’t have much time, but I think one of the short-term things that we need to do is our tyre degradation,” he insisted. He noted that while the team has ideas, “putting all the groups together will be the biggest work in the coming weeks for the team.”
As the race reached its final stages, the cooler conditions did little to help the overheating rubber. When asked if the struggle compounded as the stint went on, Pérez was clear.
“Yesterday was a bit similar, today the same. So yeah, there is a bit of work to do there,” he remarked.
He observed that, “as soon as the degradation starts to kick in, we can be with them, with the midfield, but they are just able to pick up the pace quite a lot.”
Despite the setback, the veteran remains hopeful about the team’s path forward. “I’m confident, you know, I think we’re heading in the right direction,” he stated.
For Pérez, the 2026 F1 Miami GP highlighted the urgency of the situation.
“Still a long season, but obviously we are in a massive hurry to find performance, because we know Aston [Martin] is going to be improving and we don’t want to be left behind,” he concluded.
The Cadillac camp left Florida with a clear directive: evolution must outpace the calendar. While the tenacity shown against Aston Martin confirms that the Mexican driver hasn’t lost his edge, mechanical limitations remain a stubborn ceiling.
