Cadillac F1’s new driver, Sergio Perez, has made a stunning prediction about seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 season with Ferrari. The next year marks the inception of a new era of regulations, where new F1 cars will roar across Grand Prix circuits.

New engine and chassis regulations kick in from 2026, when F1 cars will be powered by electric power and an internal combustion engine running on sustainable fuel in an equal ratio. The cars will also be lighter and more compact, with narrower tires, featuring active aerodynamics.

The cars belonging to the current ground effect era, which began in 2022, have reportedly been unsuitable for many drivers, especially Lewis Hamilton, who not only faced challenges with Mercedes’ title challenger but is also finding it difficult to adapt to Ferrari’s SF-25.

Hamilton came extremely close to securing his eighth title in 2021, before the new era took over in the following year. The drastic drop in performance from the 2022 season points to the idea that the current generation of cars is unsuitable for the Briton. Perez also faced challenges at Red Bull last year, eventually leading to his ouster, while his teammate Max Verstappen won his fourth championship. Perez holds the opinion that the ground effect cars have been “tricky.”

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes chats with Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing in parc ferme after the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit… More KYM ILLMAN/GETTY IMAGES
When Perez was asked on The F1 Show about Cadillac engineering consultant Pat Symonds’ comments that the 2026 F1 car will suit him and Hamilton, the Mexican driver said:

“I think this era of cars that we’re currently in, with the ground effect cars, it’s been tricky. But, I think, with Lewis, you’ve seen it, he’s done a tremendous job at Mercedes when they didn’t have a competitive car. I think for him, at the end of an era, to be changing teams and getting to adapt has been tricky.

“But obviously, he’s a fantastic driver. And for sure, he’ll figure it out. I think we’ve seen it with many different drivers, that it’s all about adapting a car into a driving style that sometimes it just takes a little bit longer than others.”

Addressing his own performance, Perez said:

“I’ve done well in previous eras. So yeah, I do expect that the new regulations will suit my style.”

Perez will return to the grid with Cadillac F1 next year, which is set to debut as the sport’s eleventh team. Valtteri Bottas will race alongside Perez, a seasoned F1 driver currently performing reserve driver duties for Mercedes following his ouster from the Sauber F1 team after the 2024 season.