Cadillac are quietly building something. A second consecutive double finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, Checo Perez on the lead lap for the first time in 2026, and an upgrade package confirmed for Miami. Three races into their debut F1 season, the momentum is real.
The Race
Perez started 19th and crossed the line 17th, completing the full race distance on the lead lap. Bottas started 20th and finished 19th, trying an alternative hard tyre strategy from the off that failed to deliver the pace the team needed.
Perez has now passed the chequered flag in every race in 2026, including the Sprint in China. Japan marked Bottas’ second race finish of the season.
What The Drivers Said
Perez was encouraged by the step in race pace.
“Today was our strongest race so far this year. We’ve made a lot of progress in a short space of time, and we can be happy to get two cars past the finish yet again. We were clearly faster than Aston Martin and we can see our pace is getting stronger. Hopefully the upgrades we bring to Miami will put us into the mix a lot more.”
Bottas was honest about his own afternoon.
“I was lacking a bit of performance, which meant I struggled to challenge the Aston Martins today. We tried a different strategy by starting with the hard tyre but unfortunately it didn’t seem to work. However, throughout the whole weekend it was much cleaner with fewer issues. We’ve learned a lot that we can use to improve for the next race.”
Lowdon’s Assessment
Team Principal Graeme Lowdon kept focus on the bigger picture.
“Just three races into our debut season, we can be very proud to have achieved another two-car finish, with one car on the lead lap. I’m particularly pleased to see another significant step forward by the whole team in terms of execution and reliability. We have an upgrade package coming for Miami and I’m excited to see what that can deliver.”
Miami is of course also Cadillac’s first home Grand Prix and they will want to put on a show there.
Coffee Corner Take
Under the radar. There aren’t many talking about Cadillac right now. The struggles of Aston Martin and Honda should serve as a warning of just how difficult it is to get a car onto the grid. But quietly, in the background, this team is doing exactly what a debut constructor needs to do. Finish races. Learn. Build. The break gives them time to gather data and bring upgrades to Miami. The story from Cadillac across the opening rounds is simple. They are making steps in the right direction.
CadillacF1.com
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