Cadillac arrives at the Monaco Grand Prix of Formula 1 next weekend, boosted by signs of evolution demonstrated in the early stages of the season. After its most competitive weekend so far in Canada, the American team is betting on new updates and continued development to face one of the biggest challenges on the calendar.
Read more F1: Alpine highlights preparation and shows excitement for Monaco GP
Even recognizing the complexity of the Monte Carlo circuit, the team believes that the progress made since the start of the championship offers reasons for optimism. The main focus, however, remains on building a solid foundation in its debut season in the category.
The team principal, Graeme Lowdon, highlighted that the challenge of competing in Monaco is even greater for such a recent project: “For any team, but especially for a brand new team, Monaco is a huge challenge,” he said.
According to the director, Cadillac made important steps in Miami and Canada, but intends to use the weekend on the streets of the Principality to introduce new updates and complete all activities without problems: “Although Monaco offers opportunities due to its unpredictability, our goals will be to introduce a few more updates and get through the weekend cleanly. The fact that we are evaluated by the same standards as the other teams shows that expectations have increased, but with only six races in our debut season, our focus remains on progress and building momentum,” he said.
The team arrives at the stage after showing good signs of reliability early in the year. Highlights include both cars finishing in the Chinese, Japanese, and Miami GPs, as well as the Sprint races held in China, Miami, and Canada. In Montreal, Sergio Perez also secured 11th position on the track during the Sprint, a result seen as part of the team’s best collective performance so far.
Read more F1: Leclerc presents special racing suit for Monaco GP
Perez positively evaluated the progress shown in Canada and believes the team continues to advance consistently: “We took a big step forward in Canada. I was able to compete in the midfield pack both in the Sprint race and the GP. Of course, there are still areas we need to improve, but Cadillac is still very new. We are learning all the time and evolving together, step by step, race after race,” he commented.
The Mexican also highlighted his special connection with the Monte Carlo circuit: “Monaco is unique and extremely challenging, but it is one of my favorite races on the calendar. I love street circuits and have great memories of my victory here in 2022, so I hope we can continue evolving this weekend,” he added.
On the other side of the garage, Valtteri Bottas admitted he faced difficulties in recent races but considers this a natural part of the growth process for a rookie team: “We had some problems, but that is expected in a brand new team. It is part of the learning. We know progress takes time, but the team and I are working very well together to take these steps forward. Clearly, we are evolving and becoming more competitive session after session, which is exciting. It is no secret that Monaco is challenging, but it is a place I love to race. I am excited to see what we can do,” the Finnish driver concluded.
Read more Pedro Clerot pays tribute to Ayrton Senna with a special helmet for the Monaco GP in F3
