Bottas: Cadillac F1 faces 'a mountain to climb' after first shakedown

Valtteri Bottas acknowledged the Cadillac F1 team has "a bit of a mountain to climb" after completing its first shakedown test in Barcelona, but emphasized the team is solving problems with every run. The all-new operation, the first fresh constructor since Haas in 2016, completed an estimated 164 laps over three days, marking a crucial but challenging initial step into Formula 1.

Why it matters:

Cadillac's entry represents the first major expansion of the F1 grid in a decade, injecting new competition and manufacturer interest into the sport. The team's early struggles and progress are a real-time case study in the immense difficulty of building a competitive operation from scratch, setting expectations for its potential position in the 2026 pecking order.

The details:

• The three-day Barcelona shakedown served as the team's first proper track running, with Bottas describing it as a critical "problem-solving phase."
• While a reported 164 laps is a solid baseline, it was the second-lowest tally among the teams present, highlighting the steep learning curve.
• Bottas paired the honest assessment of a long road ahead with praise for the team's effort, stating he was "proud of everyone working so hard."
• The team benefits from one of the grid's most experienced driver line-ups, with Bottas and Sergio Perez bringing a wealth of knowledge to the development process.

What's next:

The team now faces a hectic preparation period before the next critical test.

• Bottas will head directly to Cadillac's simulator in the United States for correlation work and preparation for the upcoming Bahrain tests.
• The squad has six more official testing days in Bahrain split across two sessions in February to gather data and hopefully bring upgrades.
• The focus will be on analyzing the trove of new car data from Barcelona to identify improvements and build new parts, aiming to be "ready for Bahrain" and continue its incremental progress up the mountain.

summary: Valtteri Bottas says the new Cadillac F1 team has "a mountain to climb" after its first shakedown in Barcelona, but is making progress each run. The team completed an estimated 164 laps as it begins the immense challenge of building a competitive operation from scratch for the 2026 season. categories: [