Sergio Perez insists Lewis Hamilton will “figure it out” at Ferrari after the Briton’s disappointing start to life at Ferrari.
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton moved amid much fanfare to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, after 12 years and six world titles at Mercedes.
Yet the 40-year-old has not recorded a podium in 14 races and currently lies sixth in the championship standings.
Perez, meanwhile, has enjoyed a year away from the sport but will return to the grid next year as part of Cadillac’s driver line-up alongside Valtteri Bottas, in a move announced by F1’s newest team on Tuesday.
At a press conference, asked whether he and Hamilton will perform better in the next year’s new generation of cars, Perez replied: “I think, with Lewis, you’ve seen it.
“He did 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 [to Ferrari] has been tricky.
“But obviously, he’s a fantastic driver and for sure he’ll figure it out.”
The current ground-effect generation of cars, introduced in 2022, have been tough for Hamilton to get to grips with. Since their introduction, he has won just twice – at Silverstone and Spa last year – and has failed to compete for the world championship, amid Red Bull and now McLaren dominating the sport.
However, with most teams now focused on 2026, Hamilton will be hoping for a reset for the remaining 10 races of this year as his focus gradually shifts to next season.
Perez, meanwhile, insists he has “nothing to prove” as he looks towards his new challenge with American-owned Cadillac next year, soon-to-be F1’s 11th team.
“Everyone forgets about it now, but it (Red Bull) has been a very tricky place to be at – to constantly adapt and build confidence, and mentally it is a very unique challenge.
“When you see the amount of points they (Tsunoda and Lawson) scored (seven combined) in an entire season, in that regard, I don’t have anything to prove.
“This is a comeback to enjoy the sport. I had a very difficult final year with Red Bull. This is a sport I love, and a sport that has given me so much.
“I could not afford to leave the sport in the way I did, and this is why I am coming back with this new project and I hope it is a very successful one. I want to get back to enjoying the sport and I want to help this team move forwards.”
F1 returns this weekend after the four-week summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
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