Sergio Pérez dropped a phrase that went around the world. The Mexican compared Formula 1's new regulations to the video game Mario Kart after being eliminated in Q1 and finishing 15th at the Chinese Grand Prix.
"Now I need a mushroom, it's disappeared I don't know what happened," Sergio Perez said while looking for an overtake that never came. The Mexican Cadillac driver had already criticized the artificiality of the regulations, he was really angry during the last Grand Prix. For him, overtaking or being overtaken with just the push of a button feels more like a racing game you play on a console than the top category of motorsport. It's also worth noting that Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman also questioned the current regulations, adding their voices to a growing chorus of discontent among the grid.
Cadillac's debut in Formula 1 was far from what was expected, the 11th team suffered multiple mechanical issues from the start: fuel system failures, mirrors that came loose and slow pit stops complicated their first races. On top of that, as if that wasn't enough, the chassis prioritized safety over performance, something that shows when they try to stay in the midfield.
However, beyond the technical side of the race, what generated the most buzz was Pérez's criticism. The former Red Bull driver compared the Overtake Mode to the power-ups from the famous Nintendo video game Mario Kart, an analogy that quickly resonated because it reflects what several drivers feel: relying more on a button than on pure skill to pass rivals.
Inside the American team, things aren't exactly peaceful. Jolyon Palmer questioned a risky move by Pérez against his teammate Valtteri Bottas at Turn 3 in Shanghai. The former driver considered what Checo did was unnecessary since Cadillac's main goal was to finish the race and gather data. He also said that a mistake like that could have taken both out and compromised development. Despite all this, they managed to complete the race, something key at this stage.
Despite the setbacks, the team remains optimistic. The five-week break between Japan and Miami looks like an opportunity to fix the issues. Bottas tried to bring some calm and said there's room for improvement, especially in downforce, and also let it slip that updates are coming for the diffuser and mirrors.
The comparison to Mario Kart wasn't just a joke. It was a sign of the drivers' frustration. Pérez said it with irony, but the message is serious: today, many times, winning or losing depends more on managing energy than on taking risks in a corner, and that doesn't sit well with the drivers.