Cadillac arrive with ‘big package’ for Austria as Bottas issues reliability warning
Cadillac has been making strides in its debut season.
Both Cadillac drivers have confirmed the team is set to bring a further upgrade package with them to the Austrian Grand Prix, as it continues its ambition to move up the competitive order.
It appears set to be an upgrade-heavy weekend at the Red Bull Ring, with drivers and team bosses from the likes of Red Bull, McLaren, Alpine, Audi, Williams and Haas having also indicated that further updates to their 2026 machinery may be on the way this weekend.
Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas confirm Cadillac Austria upgrade package
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In Cadillac’s case, Sergio Perez indicated that a “good, big [upgrade] package” is set to be brought by the team to Austria, with the relative gap to those in front slowly reducing in its first season in Formula 1.
There was a notable one-second gap between Cadillac and Aston Martin in qualifying last time out in Barcelona, with the sport’s newcomers lifting themselves off the bottom of the standings in earnest at a circuit which provides an all-round test of Formula 1 machinery.
Comparing to the beginning of the season, for example, where Cadillac’s best qualifying lap was 4.1 seconds off the pole-setting time of George Russell, that relative gap reduced to 2.9 seconds at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
With the team looking to continue its early rate of progress, Valtteri Bottas also confirmed that a new upgrade package is on its way, but tempered that with a reminder that reliability will be his underlying concern in the immediate term.
While Perez notched a P14 finish in Barcelona, Bottas has had to retire from the last two races with separate issues.
“We’ve got some new stuff coming for the next race,” Bottas confirmed to PlanetF1.com and others.
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Asked about the potential impact of the upgrades, he added: “Should be decent, and so far what we have put in the car can work, so I suppose we’re gonna be a bit closer again in Austria, but the main concern is now, again, like the very beginning of the year, has been reliability.
“Two DNFs in a row, it doesn’t matter how quick the car is if you can’t finish the race.”
The Austrian Grand Prix begins a busy period in Formula 1, with four rounds to come in five weekends prior to the summer shutdown.
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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