Sergio Perez makes ‘very basic’ Cadillac F1 admission over new hires

Sergio Perez celebrated the signatures of Craig Skinner, Eric Blandin and Tim Lean to the Cadillac F1 team.

The signing of this trio gives Perez every hope that a positive step forward will be taken next year. He admitted that Cadillac’s current car, the MAC-26, is “very basic” as its first challenger. Perez has experience of working alongside Skinner at Red Bull, and felt personally the impact which he can have.

Sergio Perez believes new hires will push Cadillac F1 forward

In late September, Cadillac confirmed that the trio of Skinner, Blandin and Lean would be joining the team over the coming months.

Skinner spent two decades at Red Bull, working his way up to chief designer. He oversaw the RB19, the car with which Red Bull won a record 21 of 22 grands prix in 2023. He joins Cadillac F1 as its chief development engineer.

Blandin also boasts Red Bull experience, becoming a team leader in aerodynamics there. With Ferrari additionally on his CV, Blandin was part of multiple title wins with Mercedes, progressing to chief aerodynamicist. He most recently worked at Aston Martin as deputy technical director and later aerodynamics director. He becomes Cadillac’s new head of aero.

Lean will assume the Cadillac F1 role of ‘chief engineer – aerodynamics modelling and simulation’. He boasts extensive experience with McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Perez had been asked for his verdict on Cadillac’s new hires.

“Really good. I think the team is showing how serious they are and how committed they are to Formula 1,” he told PlanetF1.com and others.

“So I think they are great hires. I think they are people that are really going to push our team forward.

“Don’t forget that it’s just our first season, so this car is very basic. So I have every hope that next year we will definitely be moving forward.

“I worked with Craig, and he was really good in the Red Bull organisation. He was very important there, and actually, he made a very big difference with my floor.

“I remember coming into Baku when we were struggling with the entry stability. He figured it out, a pucker into the floor, and it transformed my balance and my car.

“Unfortunately, the floor was destroyed after the race with the crash with Carlos [Sainz], and I never got to race it again. But it was a really good step.

“So I think he’s someone that is really good and understands what are my needs.”

Cadillac teammate Valtteri Bottas was similarly upbeat over the new recruits.

“Good,” he began. “We need more people and people with experience, and that’s what we’re getting, experience from other teams.

“These kind of steps we will keep making as a team.”

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Perez’s Cadillac future is secure, having signed a new multi-year deal on the eve of his home race in Mexico. That keeps him with the team for at least the next three years.

Bottas is yet to be confirmed as remaining in the second seat. Cadillac F1 test driver Colton Herta recently secured his Super Licence to be eligible for an F1 drive.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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