Cadillac will introduce a substantial upgrade package at the Austrian Grand Prix, featuring revised sidepods and a new floor, as the American team pushes to score its first points of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The team confirmed the aerodynamic overhaul ahead of this weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring, where extreme elevation changes and high track temperatures will provide an immediate test of the new components. Team Principal Graeme Lowdown said the upgrades represent a significant amount of work from the factory.
“We are however pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package this weekend,” Lowdown said. “With new sidepods and floor it’s a significant amount of work and we hope that it will continue our trajectory of steadily catching-up to the midfield. We don’t underestimate the challenges Austria presents, but we’re learning all the time and I’m confident we can make progress again this weekend.”
Lowdown acknowledged the demanding schedule facing the team as races arrive in quick succession. “The races now come along in rapid succession, and meeting that logistical element while improving our competitive performance is one of the key challenges of this part of the year,” he said.
Cadillac came closest to breaking into the top 10 at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Sergio Perez finished in P10 before a start infringement penalty dropped him to P15. That result, while ultimately frustrating, underscored the progress the newcomers have made since joining the grid. Perez’s teammate Valtteri Bottas has faced a more difficult stretch, battling persistent brake issues that carried over into the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend, where he beached his car during FP3 and later retired from the race with overheating problems.
Perez expressed confidence that the development trajectory is heading in the right direction. “Every race it feels that we’re making progress, and there was a lot of valuable learning in getting to the chequered flag in Barcelona,” he said. “The rate of development is very good, everyone back at the factory is going full speed to deliver new parts to the track, and the upgrade we have this weekend will hopefully provide another step.”
Bottas, who has a strong personal history at the Red Bull Ring, struck an optimistic tone despite his recent reliability setbacks. “We are always learning from experiences to understand the issues, develop the car. We’re doing that, and making progress every week,” he said. “I have great memories of this circuit, not just the victories in 2017 and 2020, but also my first front row start, and first F1 podium, which I had here in 2014. This is going to be a tough weekend - but it’s one I’m really looking forward to.”
The Austrian Grand Prix will serve as a crucial proving ground for Cadillac’s latest development push as the team attempts to close the gap to the established midfield runners and convert its incremental gains into a points finish.