The Brit has struggled at times since moving to Ferrari.

Sergio Perez gave a telling response to a Lewis Hamilton prediction ahead of his Formula One return. The Mexican driver was ditched by Red Bull at the end of last season and is set for a return to Formula One next year, when the new Cadillac team takes to the track for the first time.

The prediction was relayed to Perez by Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater, who was speaking on ‘The F1 Show’. Slater informed Perez that Cadillac F1 consultant Pat Symonds is said to have suggested the new 2026 ruleset will “benefit Lewis Hamilton’s driving style”.

Taking a second to contemplate the claim, Perez eventually replied: “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.”

Hamilton made the move to Ferrari earlier this year, but the Brit hasn’t exactly set the world alight behind the wheel of his new team. His highest finish in a Grand Prix is fourth, while his most recent outing at the Hungarian GP prior to the summer break rendered a disappointing 12th-place finish.

On Hamilton’s ability to bounce back, Perez added: “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.”

Perez himself was tipped to do well in the new cars by Symonds, with the ex-Red Bull ace set to join forces with ex-Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas. When asked if he’s confident the partnership can work, Perez explained: “Definitely I think it’s going to work well. We are both very competitive. We are both very, very hungry.

“We’ve seen it all in the sport as well, which I think definitely helps. But we are very motivated to give feedback… Obviously, Valtteri is like half in already. I’m really happy to be out of the sport for a year. I’m not looking forward to go to any races this year, to be honest. I’m happy to see them from the TV, because there’s a lot of races coming up for us in the next years.”