Sergio Pérez shares former team-mate Max Verstappen’s view on the new Formula 1 cars. The Mexican suspects the races in 2026 “could indeed play out like Formula E racing,” because energy management will have a larger role in the coming season. Pérez even warns that the opening races could be chaotic — a view McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also shares with him.
Sergio Pérez returns to the Formula 1 grid in Melbourne after a year away. The Mexican’s comeback coincides with the sweeping regulation changes that take effect this season in the sport’s top tier. The ex-Red Bull driver said earlier that his “forced sabbatical” had the upside of letting him learn the new regulations early, but after the first test week in Bahrain he reaches the same conclusion as former team-mate Max Verstappen.
“The Formula 1 cars certainly feel very different from what I was used to,” the Mexican told the media in Bahrain. “I think it’s the biggest regulation change of my career. It’s very hard to understand what’s going on with the energy, and with the management. The power unit plays a much bigger role than in the past, which isn’t ideal. I want to see how the racing goes, because for me racing is obviously the best part. Right now I simply don’t know what that will look like. It seems overtaking may become a bit harder, with managing your energy and so on. So it could indeed play out like Formula E racing.”
That, however, isn’t the only thing Pérez is worried about. The Mexican reckons the first few races of the season could be pretty chaotic. “I think that, especially during the opening rounds, everyone will have to learn their power units: how to manage them, when to use the overtake button, how much energy you consume while using it, and so on. It’s very tricky.”
Fear of chaos
The Cadillac driver isn’t the only one with that concern. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is also afraid of chaos on the grid because of the new power units. The Italian hopes the FIA will still intervene on race starts, on ‘lift and coast‘ when drivers are following each other, and on overtaking. During the practice start on Friday in Bahrain, Formula 1 got an early taste of the potential chaos that could await the premier class in Melbourne. A number of drivers, including Oscar Piastri, couldn’t get away when the lights went out, and Franco Colapinto even ran off the track.
“We’re not talking about how quick you are in qualifying or what your race pace is,” Stella explained. “We’re talking about safety on the grid. There are certain matters that are simply more important than the competitive interest. And for me, grid safety, which could be achieved with a simple adjustment, is just a no-brainer. It’s simply a higher priority.”
