For Cadillac, the Formula 1 Monaco GP qualifying session had mixed feelings. Despite the discreet positions of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, the team highlighted the car’s evolution and emphasized that it was very close to advancing to Q2.
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The Mexican driver secured 18th position on the grid and assessed that he extracted the maximum possible from the available equipment. Perez believes that the difference for a spot in the next phase of qualifying was minimal and highlighted the effort made throughout the session.
“We managed to get the most out of the car today with what we have at the moment. We were very close, missing just a few hundredths. In Monaco, drivers can make a big difference, and I gave it everything I had,” said the Cadillac driver.
Even without achieving the desired result, Perez remains hopeful of taking advantage of possible opportunities during Sunday’s race: “We know that many opportunities can arise here during the race. We will do our best,” he said.
On the other side of the garage, Bottas finished only 20th, but saw some positive signs. The Finn highlighted that the differences to competitors seem to be decreasing and noted that the team managed to outperform both Aston Martin cars in the qualifying session.
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According to Bottas, the main obstacle was the car’s behavior over curbs and track irregularities: “We thought this circuit might suit our car better, but we are suffering quite a bit with the ride height and suspension behavior. We tried several setup changes, but that ends up bringing other limitations. There is clearly an area we need to improve, which is how the car handles curbs and bumps,” he stated.
Team principal, Graeme Lowdon, also highlighted the work done behind the scenes to prepare the cars for Saturday’s decisive session. Although he acknowledged that the qualifying session was not perfect, he emphasized that Cadillac was just 0.063s away from a Q2 spot in only its sixth Formula 1 weekend.
“I am proud of how the team worked together and the contribution of both drivers. This is fundamental for us to continue evolving. The race will not be easy from these positions, but Monaco often presents unpredictable situations, so we will keep pushing to take advantage of any opportunity that arises,” Lowdon concluded.
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