Cadillac intends to bring a major update to the Formula 1 Miami GP, which will be held shortly after the April break. The American team, competing in its first season in the category, sees the home race as a decisive opportunity to improve performance and move out of the back of the grid.
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For now, Cadillac has faced the natural difficulties of a rookie team, remaining at the back of the pack in the early stages of 2026. Even so, the pace compared to veteran Aston Martin, which is also facing problems, was seen as an encouraging sign within the team.
At the Japanese GP, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas finished in 17th and 19th places, respectively. After the race, both drivers pointed to the need for significant evolution during the April break, with the expectation that the team can reduce up to one second per lap.
Perez highlighted that the gap to direct competitors is still considerable, but not impossible to close: “When I was racing against Williams and Alpine, I saw that they are not that far away, they just manage to find pace consistently,” said the Mexican.
The driver was also direct when commenting on what the team needs to make a performance leap: “It’s clear that we need a second now and I really hope we can bring a major update to Miami. This will be the biggest test for the team.”
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According to Perez, the main current weakness lies in the car’s aerodynamic load: “There are many areas, but at the moment the main one is load. That’s where we are losing the most. The balance isn’t bad, we’re just lacking load,” concluded the Mexican.
Bottas agreed with his teammate’s analysis and highlighted that the small update introduced in Japan brought positive signs: “Sinto que ganhamos um pouco de carga, um pouco de estabilidade. Funcionou como esperado, especialmente na traseira, e esperamos um passo maior em Miami”, disse ele.
The Finn also stressed that, despite the disadvantage to the front teams, the car’s base is promising: “Even with the lack of load, the driveability and balance have been in a good window from the start. The fundamentals are there to take good steps,” he added.
Bottas still believes that the April break can help accelerate development: “The break will probably help us prioritize certain areas and, hopefully, bring forward some updates,” he concluded, reinforcing Cadillac’s expectations for its first home race in Formula 1.
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