The 2026 Formula 1 season has already highlighted one of the key challenges for the newest team on the grid: Cadillac. The MAC26 cars have been struggling due to a lack of rear downforce, but the team has a steady program of updates planned to help bridge the gap to the midfield.
“Living my time, and feeling good in it,” sang Piero Pelù back in 1999 on the track “Vivere il mio tempo” from his album Infinito. The line seems almost tailor-made for Cadillac, capturing the spirit of a team taking its first steps in Formula 1 with patience and realism.
The 11th team to join the grid made its debut at the Australian Grand Prix, starting and finishing at the back of the field—a challenge that few newcomers manage to avoid. But Cadillac has approached its first races with a calm and measured approach, fully aware of the difficulties ahead. As the team heads to the Chinese Grand Prix, everyone in the garage directed by Graeme Lowdon knows they will face similar challenges to those experienced just a week ago at Albert Park.
“We expected a start like this. We knew it. This car was designed a long time ago. It’s very basic; they had to finalize it early. So we knew the beginning would be tough,” admitted Sergio Perez.
The Ferrari power unit has already proven its effectiveness in both the SF-26 and the Haas VF-26. For this reason, Cadillac believes that much of the performance gap is down to its own chassis, the MAC26.
“Ferrari has shown it can compete at the front, so the power unit is solid,” emphasized Valtteri Bottas. “We should also get full support from them. We can see how they are using energy and replicate it easily if we want. So I don’t see the deployment as a limitation—it’s definitely our car.”
The MAC26 has so far shown a significant lack of rear downforce, causing the back of the car to slide and negatively affecting tire management.
“Especially on the aerodynamic side, we are lacking a lot of downforce, particularly at the rear. This has limited us mechanically, as we need to do everything possible to protect the rear. But once we start gaining more downforce, there will still be potential to exploit,” Valtteri Bottas explained.
“I don’t see any major fundamental problems. Looking at the details compared to other cars, I think the bodywork is very nice. But the biggest differences with the top teams lie in the finer details. So I don’t think there are major limitations.
“There’s still a gap to the cars ahead, and now we need to start working to reduce it. It’s not an easy task, but there are plenty of updates planned for the upcoming races.”
Knowing that their car lacks standout design features, Cadillac plans to bring multiple upgrades in the coming rounds. The goal is to introduce several aerodynamic improvements that can help the MAC26 recover crucial tenths and move closer to the midfield pack.
“I think in the first four or five races we will always bring something new on track from an aerodynamic point of view—more downforce at each race,” said Bottas, likely assuming that the Middle East races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will proceed as planned in April.
“Then we will see how big the difference really is. But again, we now have much more knowledge about the other cars and their design philosophies. I’m sure they are working at full speed in the wind tunnel right now. There will already be improvements in the next races, but we will then need to understand how to find bigger steps in performance.”
The journey for Cadillac in 2026 is a marathon, not a sprint. While the MAC26 currently looks like a “clean sheet” design lacking the aerodynamic complexity of its rivals, the decision to use the Ferrari power unit provides a stable and powerful benchmark. By focusing on rear stability first, Bottas and Perez are hoping to give themselves a car they can actually race in traffic. In Shanghai, with its notoriously long back straight and high-load corners, any aero gains will be immediately visible on the timing screens. Cadillac isn’t just trying to survive its first season; it’s trying to build a technical foundation that justifies its place on the world’s most exclusive grid. The updates in China will be the first test of whether Sakura and Maranello’s newest partner can truly close the gap.
Leave a Reply