Cadillac targets first Formula 1 points with major Austrian GP upgrades. Cadillac arrives at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix with its biggest upgrade package of the season.

Cadillac targets first Formula 1 points with major Austrian GP upgrade package

Cadillac heads into the Austrian Grand Prix with ambitious goals, as Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez shared their optimism about the extensive upgrade package the American team has introduced at the Red Bull Ring. Cadillac remains the only team on the Formula 1 grid yet to score a point after the opening seven Grands Prix of the season, with Perez’s 10th-place finish in Monaco ultimately wiped out by a post-race penalty.

Valtteri Bottas has endured a frustrating run of reliability issues, retiring from the last two races due to brake problems in Monaco and overheating in Barcelona. The Finnish driver has now failed to finish three of the seven Grands Prix contested so far, making reliability his primary focus heading into the Austrian weekend.

Discussing the team’s expectations, Bottas said:

“We have some new upgrades, sidepods, bodywork and a new floor, which on paper should represent a good step forward. But beyond that, we’ve also worked on the reliability problems from the last two races, and I think that’s still the priority because I haven’t finished the last two events.”

Major upgrades face an important test in the Austrian heat

Cadillac has arrived in Spielberg with substantial technical developments, including revised sidepods, new bodywork and a redesigned floor, all aimed at reducing the gap to midfield rivals such as Aston Martin and Audi. However, the high temperatures expected at the Red Bull Ring will provide a demanding test, particularly after the team’s recent cooling-related issues.

Bottas added:

“We have new bodywork here that gives us more options for engine cooling, so I’m less concerned about that. I think the biggest test here will be the brakes. We’ve had overheating issues over the last few races, so we’ve made some changes. We now have more brake cooling options, but this will be the real test. If we can survive here, I think it means we can survive anywhere on this calendar.”

Sergio Perez confident Cadillac is closing on the midfield

Sergio Perez expressed greater optimism about Cadillac’s chances of joining the midfield battle. The Mexican achieved his best result of the season with 14th place in Barcelona, although he finished three laps behind the leaders after struggling with tyre management throughout the race.

Perez explained:

“We definitely want to make good progress. We can already see that we’re getting closer to the midfield, especially over a single lap. I think we’re still missing something when it comes to tyre management. We’re bringing an upgrade here that we hope will move us even closer. Once we’re there, everything will come down to the small details. I think the team has improved enormously from an operational point of view, making really big steps so far, so hopefully this update will bring us much closer.”

Cadillac arrives in Austria aiming to make progress in both performance and reliability. The extensive upgrade package introduced at Spielberg will provide the team’s first real opportunity to evaluate whether it has taken a decisive step toward fighting consistently in the midfield and, above all, securing its first Formula 1 points.