'If Cadillac need to change one driver, they're going to change Bottas'

Expectations were never particularly high for Cadillac, with the American outfit making its Formula 1 debut in a season that also coincided with one of the biggest regulatory overhauls in the sport's recent history, adding another layer of difficulty to an already demanding challenge.

After 11 races, Cadillac is indeed the only team yet to score a point. In terms of outright competitiveness, it has also slipped behind Aston Martin following the extensive upgrade package introduced on the AMR26 in Hungary.

The intra-team battle between Bottas and Perez, who also returned to Formula 1 after spending a year on the sidelines, has so far swung in the Mexican's favour. Perez leads the qualifying head-to-head 6-5 and holds a 6-3 advantage in races when their respective retirements are excluded.

The former Red Bull driver has also threatened the points on several occasions, while Bottas has yet to produce any similarly eye-catching performances.

Appearing as a guest on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner was asked to grade the performances of the F1 drivers so far this season. While Perez earned a C, the former Haas team principal gave Bottas a D, arguing that the Mexican has clearly had the upper hand at Cadillac.

Steiner suggested Bottas appears to have lost some of his motivation, particularly compared to Perez, who he believes is still pushing to extract more from the car. He also argued that, if Cadillac were to replace one of its drivers, Bottas would currently be the more likely candidate given his weaker results.

According to him, Bottas may also have expected more from his Formula 1 comeback. After spending last season as Mercedes' reserve driver, the Finn is now putting in the effort required of a full-time F1 driver only to find himself regularly at the back of the grid.