Sergio Perez sounds the alarm following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: he says the extreme differences in performance between F1 engines have now become “too dangerous”
Sergio Perez explains that he fears “something bad” could happen due to the extreme differences in speed between the cars of the new generation of Formula 1 cars.
“More than anything else, this is a race where we need to analyse very carefully what is going on with energy management and the differences between the engines,” said the Cadillac driver after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“I nearly had a massive crash with [Liam] Lawson when I was defending my position against him. Because the difference in power output and performance between the engines is simply too dangerous. And I fear that something bad will happen soon if we don’t adjust the rules,” said the Mexican.
The speed differences between the cars in the race were a key issue at the start of the 2026 season, particularly after Oliver Bearman suffered a violent crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Haas driver lost control of his car when he had to swerve to avoid the significantly slower Franco Colapinto during the race.
Unfortunately, the incident confirmed fears regarding the new power units with their 47 per cent electric component. Depending on energy deployment, this leads to significant differences in performance between individual cars on the track.
The FIA took action during the April break to address the issue: Amendments to the engine regulations were intended to reduce the need for “lift-and-coast”. Further regulatory changes for 2027 – including a reduction in the electric component from 47 to 42 per cent – are expected to alleviate the situation.
“I hope they can narrow the gap,” says Perez. “Because at the moment it feels as though Mercedes and Red Bull have a very powerful engine. They can catch you in places where our power delivery is so weak and completely different to theirs. The difference in speed is too dangerous.”
Meanwhile, the Mexican is looking forward to the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with little enthusiasm. When asked whether the fast corners at Sepang might be rendered less challenging by the 2026 Formula 1 cars, Perez simply replied: “Let’s not talk about that.”
