Mario Andretti targets top 10 finishes for Cadillac before end of F1 2026

Cadillac F1 board member and 1978 World Champion, Mario Andretti, would like to think that Cadillac will be challenging the top 10, at least, towards the end of F1 2026.

Andretti says thinking big like this has always been his way, even if that has led to him “being ridiculed” at times. But, he stresses that setting bold goals like this is the “only way” that Cadillac can progress towards its ambition of winning races.

Mario Andretti defends Cadillac F1 top 10 ambition for 2026

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The Cadillac F1 team is now two races into its journey.

At the Chinese Grand Prix, a major double milestone was reached. Valtteri Bottas crossed the line 13th, which represented Cadillac’s best result yet in Formula 1. Sergio Perez finished 15th, meanwhile, which meant – even though Perez was the last of the classified runners – that both Cadillac cars made the chequered flag in just the teams’ second grand prix.

“We got through the first race and the second race was definitely a little bit better in China,” Andretti reflected via the Drive to Wynn podcast. “Both cars finishing, and even now, in the qualifying, respectively, instead of being four seconds [sic] off the pace, they were two seconds off the pace, which is a lot, but it’s an improvement.”

Bottas’ best Q1 lap in Shanghai was 2.261 seconds down on Charles Leclerc’s benchmark. Bottas was able to outqualify Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Perez, as the lead Cadillac, was 3.1s off the ultimate Q1 pace a week before that in Melbourne.

Progress for Cadillac, and it will need to keep coming.

Andretti has set the goal of challenging for points finishes consistently before F1 2026 is out.

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“Well, obviously, you have to be realistic,” he said, “and as the season goes on, you want to feel that you’re definitely progressing.

“Let’s face it, toward the end of the season, you’d like to try to think that maybe you can start competing with the top 10 consistently, maybe even better. So you’ve got to think big.

“But honestly, I’ve always done that, even to the point of being ridiculed.

“But that’s the only way that you’re ultimately going to accomplish what is important, to be able to be a factor and start winning races.”

The F1 2026 season resumes next weekend with the Japanese Grand Prix.

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