Cadillac F1 rivalry gets spicy as Sergio Perez defeats Valtteri Bottas

Bottas and Perez in plain t-shirts with orange flame background edited behind — Photo: © IMAGO

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Cadillac F1 rivalry gets spicy as Sergio Perez defeats Valtteri Bottas

The pair were off the grid in 2025

Chris Deeley

Thursday 8 January 2026 22:44

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Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have gone head to head on track for the first time as Cadillac F1 team-mates.

Well, sort of. The track was a Scalextric-like track in a TV studio. But sports stars are usually far more competitive than the average person, so let's not say it didn't matter at all.

The pair faced off on the plastic track as part of an episode of Hot Ones Versus, a spin-off of the hit YouTube interview show Hot Ones with a twist – that twist being that it pits two people against each other in challenges or 'Truth or Dare' style quizzes.

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The forfeit for losing, or for choosing not to answer a question, involves the show's legendary spicy hot wings. Of course.

Perez: Valtteri beats me at spicy food

The pair actually ended the show tied on two points apiece, but let's be honest – it's the racing challenge that really counts. In that challenge, at the end of the show, the former Red Bull man took the win.

Bottas congratulated his team-mate before taking a pretty substantial mouthful of the wing as Perez winced in sympathy, turning to a cameraman and saying 'see, he likes to suffer' with perfect timing, as the Finn muttered 'holy s**t' beside him.

"Somehow he enjoys the pain and he likes to suffer, so it was impressive to see," he added. "I have to say something: he definitely beats me on spicy food!"

Bottas ended the show with a plea to the fans to support the team in their very first F1 season, insisting 'don't just watch the Netflix! Watch the F1 races, live'.

Hear hear, Valtteri.

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F1 Sergio Perez Cadillac Valtteri Bottas