In the recent Singapore Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas faced the well-known brake problems of Cadillac once again, although the driver expressed that the issue is “almost resolved.” The excessive cooling of the brakes has been a constant headache throughout the season, causing several retirements and a loss of performance that had to be managed.
The Cadillac team brought updates to the races in Hungary and Azerbaijan to mitigate this situation, reducing the brake temperature by 100 degrees Celsius, as Bottas stated. However, brake management remained crucial during the race in Singapore. “I had to start a speed reduction on the second lap,” Bottas declared. “Eventually, the situation stabilized but then it reappeared.”
When asked if the race was a test for the brake updates, the Cadillac driver clarified: “We finished with both cars, but it required management. I imagine that most teams will have needed to do some management here.” Bottas believes that the problem “is almost solved” and hopes that next year’s design will be significantly different.
On the Marina Bay track, Bottas’ performance was worrying, as he was nearly lapped by his teammate, Sergio Pérez, finishing 96 seconds behind the leader. Bottas expressed his frustration with the lack of speed: “I had no pace in the first sector, as if I was talking about a second per lap.”
“I was trying to make up time, but if I lost speed at the entry or mid-corner, I compensated at the exit, so I didn’t quite understand it. The feeling was very bad today, as if we had taken a step back.”
Looking ahead to next week’s United States Grand Prix, Bottas wasn’t overly optimistic. “We know it will be a tough race, but hopefully better than here.”
On the other hand, Sergio Pérez, who finished 48 seconds behind Fernando Alonso, defended the team’s consistency. “Today we had solid pace and the team did very well operationally. We’re very close, we just need a second.”
Cadillac still has six races to achieve its first entry in the top 10 and avoid finishing its first season in F1 without points.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
