Bottas Struggles with Pace and Brakes as Cadillac’s Maiden Season Falters in Singapore

Valtteri Bottas' weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit was a stark reminder of the growing pains facing Cadillac's debut season. While the team is making progress on critical reliability issues, a mysterious lack of pace has left the veteran Finn nearly a lap behind his teammate.

Why it matters:

As Cadillac navigates its first year in Formula 1, the MAC-26 has become a symbol of the steep learning curve for a new manufacturer. With only six races remaining in the 2026 calendar, the team is fighting not for podiums, but for a single top-10 finish to avoid ending their maiden campaign without a point.

The details:

• Brake Management: The MAC-26 has been plagued by overheating, leading to four retirements this season. Although upgrades in Hungary and Azerbaijan reduced temperatures by 100°C, Bottas still relied on "lift-and-coast" tactics to survive Singapore.
• The Pace Gap: Bottas finished 96 seconds behind Sergio Perez—an average loss of 1.6 seconds per lap.
• Ride Quality: Bottas attributed the performance drop to a sudden decline in ride quality, describing it as a "step change" that hampered his entry and exit speeds.
• Internal Contrast: While Bottas struggled, Perez described the car as "solid," claiming they are only 1.0 to 1.5 seconds off the competitive mix.

What's next:

The team now heads to the United States Grand Prix with a desperate need for consistency. While Bottas believes the brake issues are "almost solved," the team must diagnose the ride quality variance between their drivers to maximize their remaining opportunities this season.