Cadillac has made its debut in Formula 1 during the Australian Grand Prix, where it managed to cross the finish line but with three laps behind the winner, George Russell.
After 468 days since the approval of its entry into the championship, the American team experienced a day marked by difficulties. Driver Sergio Pérez finished in 16th place driving his MAC-26 equipped with a Ferrari engine, while Valtteri Bottas had to retire from the race around lap 16 due to mechanical problems.
Team Development
Cadillac has had a quiet start, with good performance during the nine testing sessions prior to the competition, managing to collect 3,935 km of data, unlike other teams like Aston Martin and Williams that faced complications.
During the qualifying session, Pérez and Bottas occupied the last positions, 18th and 19th, respectively, with a significant delay compared to the fastest drivers. Pérez was 3.1 seconds off the pole, while Bottas could not improve his position due to several incidents.
The Race
The race became a difficult challenge for Cadillac, with its only potential rivals being the Aston Martin drivers who, as seen, could also not complete the competition. Bottas had to make an early pit stop due to a steering issue, which resulted in a fuel system problem shortly after.
Pérez, for his part, maintained an intense battle with Liam Lawson, but his lack of pace left him finishing 2 minutes and 28 seconds behind the tenth-placed driver, Pierre Gasly. Despite this, the decision to switch from a one-stop strategy to two tire loads turned out to be a smart move at a moment of no immediate danger.
Outlook and Learnings
Although Cadillac’s performance was deemed modest, the feeling within the team is one of satisfaction for having completed the race with a vehicle. The principal, Graeme Lowdon, expressed that despite the difficulties, the goal of getting a car to the finish line has been achieved in such a competitive environment.
Bottas, despite his retirement, expressed pride in the team and highlighted the fact of competing with other cars during the race. His determination is clear: they must continue working together to improve pace and close the gap with rivals.
Pérez agreed that the real work now begins, stating that significant steps must be taken to achieve improvements and compete at the highest possible level in the future. The season has started, and expectations are high for those who are stepping strongly in this challenging championship.
