Austrian Grand Prix: Cadillac F1 bringing ‘substantial’ upgrade

The Formula 1 grid heads to the Styrian Alps this week for the Austrian Grand Prix.

And for the sport’s newest team, it is the latest step on their climb to the midfield.

Ahead of this weekend’s race, Cadillac announced that the team is bringing a “substantial” upgrade package to the Austrian Grand Prix, which includes a revised body and a new floor. In addition, Cadillac will share a redesigned livery, which the team stated will reflect a “natural refinement of its visual identity as the brand continues to take shape” during races.

“The races now come along in rapid succession, and meeting that logistical element while improving our competitive performance is one of the key challenges of this part of the year. We are however pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package this weekend,” said team principal Graeme Lowdon in the team’s media preview. “With new sidepods and floor it’s a significant amount of work and we hope that it will continue our trajectory of steadily catching-up to the midfield.

“We don’t underestimate the challenges Austria present, but we’re learning all the time and I’m confident we can make progress again this weekend.”

Cadillac nearly scored the team’s first point at the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May, until a post-race penalty dropped Sergio Pérez out of the points. But the veteran driver believes that the team continues to make “progress” each race weekend.

“Every race it feels that we’re making progress, and there was a lot of valuable learning in getting to the checkered flag in Barcelona. The rate of development is very good, everyone back at the factory is going full speed to deliver new parts to the track, and the upgrade we have this weekend will hopefully provide another step,” said Pérez.

On the other side of the garage, veteran Valtteri Bottas conceded that this could be a “tough” weekend for the team, but agreed that “progress” is happening each week for F1’s newest team.

“We are always learning from experiences to understand the issues, develop the car,” said Bottas. “We’re doing that, and making progress every week. I have great memories of this circuit, not just the victories in 2017 and 2020, but also my first front row start, and first F1 podium, which I had here in 2014. This is going to be a tough weekend – but it’s one I’m really looking forward to.”

When SB Nation spoke with Lowdon ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the Cadillac boss made it clear that bringing upgrades to the track was aimed at “constant improvement,” which was a goal for the team this season. Cadillac brought upgrades to Miami, and Lowdon outlined the reason.

“Because, in terms of targets for this year, it’s super difficult to put any kind of target on anything other than what we can target, which is constant improvement,” said Lowdon to me back in May. “And so this upgrade package is one of the first steps on that, and we want to show the fans that we’re closing in to the next team in front, and then keep going, and keep aiming for the next one in front, and just keep going.

”And the improvement is what I think we should be measured on.”

The next step in that process is this weekend in Austria.