There may never have been, so far in the 2026 Formula 1 season, such a stark contrast in intra-team performance as between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Bottas was outqualified by 1.632s on Friday, albeit hindered by a yellow flag, and his woes persisted deep into the race. By his first pitstop on lap 26, the Finn was already over 46 seconds adrift of the sister Cadillac, equating to a 1.9s loss per lap. His late-race pace was similar, as after the safety car interventions he was dropping back by 1.6s a lap.
