The new Cadillac team has completed its first Grand Prix. Last race weekend in Melbourne was the litmus test for the inexperienced American formation. Results? Valtteri Bottas did not finish due to a fuel supply problem, teammate Sergio Pérez effectively finished last in P16. Yet Cadillac is very satisfied with its F1 baptism of fire. The team has gained important experience and now hopes to close the gap to the competition.
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Expectations for Cadillac were not sky-high beforehand. Without any F1 experience, it is logical that the Americans could not immediately spar with the established order. It therefore surprised no one that Sergio Pérez – after his teammate’s retirement – ultimately crossed the line last. Nevertheless, the Mexican reacted proudly: “We couldn’t have wished for a better result. Now we must take big steps and make a plan to close the gap. I believe that is possible.” For CEO Dan Towriss, too, Cadillac exceeded all expectations, he declared to Reuters.
“The most important thing we have to take away is that it went so well,” he said proudly. “The morale is high and that makes everyone all the hungrier to move forward. Everyone thinks: ‘We are here, we have exceeded our expectations, now we’re going for it. Let’s work even harder, let’s push even harder’. That applies to the drivers, but also to the rest of the team.”
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Focus on progress
Asked about his goals for the first weekend in Australia, Towriss emphasized making progress. “Perform better in every free practice, and then take it up a notch in qualifying and the race. In that respect, I think this team has made progress throughout the weekend.” Cadillac was helped by the large number of retirements in Melbourne, but that didn’t spoil the fun. “For me, that changes nothing,” Towriss concluded. “We are now just going to look ahead and think about how we can close the gap to the competition.”
Team principal Graeme Lowdon was just as enthusiastic. “Regarding the first race for a new team, I am really very satisfied with how the team handled everything,” he announced to news agency AP. “It would of course have been fantastic if we had gotten both cars across the finish line. I haven’t attended all the meetings yet to know the details of the problem with Valtteri’s car, but it certainly seemed like we had no direct control over it. At the same time, our first finish marks the beginning of a very long journey. I am grateful for the team’s approach; I think we have laid the foundation for something special here.”
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