More ‘progress’ for Cadillac at the Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 30: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Cadillac F1 Team looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on April 30, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Hector Vivas - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) | Formula 1 via Getty Images

Formula 1’s newest team took advantage of the unexpected break between the Japanese Grand Prix and this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to develop a series of upgrades for their debut challenger.

Following qualifying for the F1 Sprint race, the team hailed the “progress” those upgrades unlocked.

While both Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated in SQ1, the team believes that Pérez was on the verge of a spot in SQ2 had he been able to complete a second run. Despite qualifying 19th, Pérez called the pace “promising” and indicated he was “happy” with the performance.

“I was very happy with my lap in Sprint Quali, and the pace is promising, but sadly I only had the one run. At some points we were looking like we were going to make it to SQ2, which is already progress, but the priority now is to get on top of our issues. I only had one run as we went out too late and then didn’t have time to refuel and make a second run. In practice we also lost some track time, so we are a bit on the back foot. When we get on top of this, we’ll be able to maximize the package, which is a step forward. We now need a smooth day tomorrow and see where we end up on Sunday,” said the veteran driver in the team’s media report.

Bottas, who will start behind his teammate in P20, said the team is heading in the “right direction.”

“The car feels better with the upgrade, so that’s good. We’ve definitely gained some load especially in high to medium speed. There’s still the need to take further steps, but at least the feeling is better and we’re heading in the right direction. We’ll see what can happen in the Sprint Race tomorrow and the rest of the weekend as we continue to understand our package,” added Bottas.