Cadillac F1 Team Sees Progress Ahead of Miami Grand Prix with New Upgrades

MIAMI, FLORIDA — April 30, 2026: Sergio Pérez of Mexico and the Cadillac F1 Team participates in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome. (Photo by Hector Vivas - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

The Cadillac F1 Team, Formula 1’s newest entrant, used the unexpected break between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix to develop upgrades for their debut challenger. Following Sprint Qualifying, the team celebrated the "progress" unlocked by these upgrades.

Both Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated in SQ1, but Pérez narrowly missed a spot in SQ2 after completing just one run. Despite qualifying 19th, Pérez described the pace as "promising" and expressed satisfaction with the performance.

"I was very happy with my lap in Sprint Quali, and the pace is promising, but sadly I only had the one run. At some points we were looking like we were going to make it to SQ2, which is already progress, but the priority now is to get on top of our issues. I only had one run as we went out too late and then didn’t have time to refuel and make a second run. In practice we also lost some track time, so we are a bit on the back foot. When we get on top of this, we’ll be able to maximize the package, which is a step forward. We now need a smooth day tomorrow and see where we end up on Sunday,"

Pérez added that the team is making progress despite setbacks.

Valtteri Bottas, who will start behind Pérez in P20, echoed the sentiment, stating the team is moving in the "right direction."

"The car feels better with the upgrade, so that’s good. We’ve definitely gained some load especially in high to medium speed. There’s still the need to take further steps, but at least the feeling is better and we’re heading in the right direction. We’ll see what can happen in the Sprint Race tomorrow and the rest of the weekend as we continue to understand our package,"

Team principal Graeme Lowdon emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the upgrades displayed Friday.

"We brought a substantial aero upgrade package this weekend, which has translated to more load through the corners and ultimately more laptime on track. The upgrades were on both cars, although Checo was missing one part that may have added a little bit but this will be rectified in rotation agreed between the drivers and team. He could potentially have made it to SQ2 had he got a second run but sadly we missed this after visiting the weigh bridge. This was a missed opportunity but we will learn from it and it shows that we have made a step forward. Valtteri likewise