The Mexican finished his Cadillac debut last out of those that managed to cross the line at Albert Park (P16), but had been locked in an intense battle with old rival Liam Lawson in the opening part of the race.

There, Perez said he was looking for some "fun racing" but on Thursday's media day, he was less than impressed with a "Mario Kart" style he encountered in Australia.

Speaking to media, including GPblog, Perez was asked for his thoughts on the first race with the new 2026 regulations, where overtaking, at least in the opening part of the race, was abundant due to the differing battery levels for each driver.

When asked whether drivers can still make a difference in the new cars, Perez said: "Of course, at the end of the day, also the driver can do the difference.

On whether a solution can be found after China, with an evaluation reportedly due after the race in Shanghai, Perez also did not seem confident.

"I think it's going to be difficult because you need all the teams to agree, and some of them have a big advantage, so it will be difficult.

F1 team principals have weighed in on whether changes are needed to the new regulations following the heavy criticism that has emerged.

McLaren's Zak Brown, Mercedes' Toto Wolff and Ferrari's Fred Vasseur have all called for patience regarding the new rules, read here to find out why.

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