Valtteri Bottas, having made his return to Formula 1, feels confident that Cadillac can immediately start concentrating on the car’s performance rather than merely using testing sessions to address issues. Cadillac is joining the F1 grid this year as the 11th team, with Bottas, a former Mercedes driver, and Sergio Perez, ex-Red Bull, re-entering the championship.
The team took part in a shakedown in Barcelona late last month and showed promising results during the first day of official testing in Bahrain. Perez completed 58 laps, clocking a best time of 1:38.828, placing him 14th, while Bottas, with experience in 49 races, did 49 laps and ranked 16th with a 1:39.150 lap.
“It’s great to be out on track running the car,” Bottas shared with Formula 1’s official site. “This is just step one. We’re completing solid runs and learning from each session, which is crucial. There are several days left before Melbourne, and much work lies ahead, but the progress day by day is exciting and encouraging.”
Bottas acknowledged that being able to build up mileage has helped Cadillac avoid early challenges, especially looking ahead to the Australian Grand Prix. He anticipates that next week’s Bahrain testing will shift focus toward boosting performance. “Participating in the Barcelona shakedown and running here was critical. Missing those days would’ve surely caused problems in Melbourne,” he said. “The team has done an excellent job so far sticking to the schedule. Moving forward, the emphasis will be more on performance improvements than just fixing problems, something we need to keep pushing over the coming weeks, months, and even years.”
Regarding whether Cadillac might push the car harder in the next test, Bottas responded, “I think so. We have to be ready to race. We’re not here just to fix issues; we’re here to compete. Our priority will be to focus on performance and get to know this new car, which is a completely new challenge for everyone on the team.”
Fan Take: This development is a huge moment for racing fans as it signals Cadillac’s serious commitment to competing in Formula 1, bringing new energy and competition to the grid. If they can quickly turn reliability into speed, it could shake up the established order and add fresh excitement to the sport’s next chapter.
