The 1978 world champion didn't mince words when asked about Pérez and Bottas' performance at the start of the season. Mario Andretti acknowledged that his two drivers are rusty after spending a full year without competing in any category.
The team bet on experience for their debut in the top category. The idea was that two drivers with so many years in motorsport could speed up the car's development process with quick and precise feedback. What they couldn't foresee is that the 2025 layoff would weigh more than expected.
Checo and Bottas took a sabbatical year without racing in any series, and in a category as demanding as Formula 1, that shows from the very first lap. It's not the same being in the simulator as feeling the car on track with twenty other guys next to you, trying to pass.
Andretti explained that both are being very cautious, trying to participate without taking steps backward that would end up creating more work than necessary. Instead of taking unnecessary risks, they prefer to go step by step, add kilometers and understand a car that is also completely new because the regulations changed entirely this year.
The champion said it clearly, they're rusty, but he also acknowledged that it's part of the process when you come back after a year without getting into a single seater. It's not that they forgot how to drive, but race pace is something else.
Andretti's diagnosis didn't stop with the drivers. He also pointed out the technical issue he hears the most from inside: Pérez and Bottas agree that they lack downforce, especially stability at the rear of the car. That explains why Cadillac can't keep up with Haas or Alpine, the reference teams in the midfield, and why their direct fight right now is with Aston Martin to avoid being last on the grid.
Despite the difficulties, there's one thing Cadillac takes as a positive. The American team is the only one among those that haven't scored points yet that managed to finish the first two races of the year. Aston Martin, on the other hand, couldn't finish a race with either of their two cars in Australia or China, something that for a project that started with so much hype is a brutal blow. That's why Andretti values that at least they're adding kilometers, and that in the long run will pay off.
The bet on experienced drivers makes sense for a team that's just starting out, but it also exposes a reality that sometimes gets overlooked. Age and years in the sport aren't enough when the body and mind lost the rhythm of competition. It's clear that both drivers need time to feel comfortable in the car again, and Andretti knows it. That's why his analysis wasn't a criticism but a realistic diagnosis of what's happening. The road is just beginning.