Perez sounds the alarm: "I fear something bad is going to happen"
In Baku, it came down to centimetres. While fiercely defending his position against Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez narrowly avoided a crash — and the Cadillac driver used the moment to raise an alarm the whole paddock has since heard: the power gaps between 2026 engines have become, in his view, a genuine danger.
By Marc ErnoultCreator of OvertakeWritten with the help of AI, reviewed and approved before publication. Read our editorial policy.
A scare that woke everyone up
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend already had its share of drama, but it was an incident that never made the broadcast that left the deepest mark. While defending hard against Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez says he narrowly avoided a high-speed contact — caused not by a driving mistake, but by a sudden performance gap between his Cadillac and his rival's Racing Bulls.
The real culprit: electric deployment
Since the new 2026 power unit regulations came into force, each manufacturer manages its car's electrical energy reserve differently. According to Perez, the gap is huge: the Mercedes and Red Bull power units reportedly deliver a far more generous power boost than the Ferrari engine fitted to his still-winless Cadillac. The result, he says, is that at certain points on track one car can come roaring back up to full speed while another, low on electric deployment, is suddenly left defenceless — a scenario the Mexican considers far too dangerous to persist.
A warning that didn't come out of nowhere
This isn't the first time 2026-spec safety has raised questions this season. Oliver Bearman's accident in Japan already pushed the FIA to amend its rules on lift-and-coast tactics. And the federation is already working on what comes next: the next generation of power units, due in 2028, is set to rebalance the split between combustion and hybrid power, at an announced 60-40 ratio. Perez, whose team remains winless this year, could be suspected of pleading his own cause. But the pattern he describes — speed gaps that have become unpredictable mid-race — is one several paddock observers share.
Whether the FIA acts before the scenario Perez fears actually happens remains to be seen. In the meantime, Formula 1 heads this weekend to a track it hasn't visited in nine years: Sepang, where overtaking chances should be plentiful — and where the power-gap debate likely won't stay quiet for long.
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