Cadillac endured another difficult weekend at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez finishing 19th at Austin and Valtteri Bottas retiring in the closing stages because of a suspected power unit problem. The American team remains the only constructor yet to score a point this season, although both drivers identified some encouraging signs in the car’s race pace ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
For Sergio Perez, the next race will be particularly important. The Mexican driver is preparing to celebrate his 300th Formula 1 Grand Prix in front of his home crowd, but Cadillac’s continuing performance deficit means that securing a strong result will be challenging. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas’s retirement in Texas had consequences beyond the team’s own disappointing afternoon, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that interrupted Lewis Hamilton’s late pursuit of Max Verstappen for third place.
Cadillac struggles again as Sergio Perez finishes 19th at Austin
With five races remaining in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, Cadillac is still searching for its first points finish. The team’s lack of competitiveness was once again evident at the Circuit of the Americas, where Sergio Perez finished 19th and Valtteri Bottas failed to reach the chequered flag.
The difficult campaign has increasingly shifted Cadillac’s attention towards preparing for the next season. Nevertheless, Sergio Perez believes there are still useful lessons to take from the remaining Grands Prix, particularly after noticing that the car was slightly closer to its rivals during certain stages of the Austin race than he had anticipated.
“Unfortunately, it was a rather difficult weekend,” Sergio Perez admitted after the United States Grand Prix. “Overall, I think there are some positives we can build on. We just need to keep working and learning from this experience.”
The former Red Bull driver explained that Cadillac’s competitiveness continues to vary considerably depending on the characteristics of each circuit. Although Austin did not produce a breakthrough result, the team’s performance over the race distance offered some grounds for encouragement.
“A lot depends on the type of circuit. During the race, I was surprised to see that we were a little closer to the others than expected, so we need to keep making progress from there,” Sergio Perez continued.
Sergio Perez prepares for his 300th F1 Grand Prix at home in Mexico
Despite his difficult result in Texas, Sergio Perez is now looking forward to one of the most significant weekends of his Formula 1 career. The Mexico City Grand Prix will not only provide another opportunity to compete in front of his home supporters but will also mark his 300th Grand Prix.
For the Mexican driver, the occasion carries enormous personal significance. Although Cadillac has struggled throughout its first season, Sergio Perez hopes the team can make further progress and deliver a more satisfying performance for the fans who will be supporting him at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
“Now I can’t wait to get to Mexico. Racing in front of my home crowd is always something incredibly special, and this year it will be even more meaningful because I’ll be celebrating my 300th Grand Prix,” Sergio Perez explained.
“I’m excited to share this moment with the fans and I hope I can give them something to cheer about. We’ll keep pushing, aiming for a better weekend.”
The milestone adds an emotional dimension to Cadillac’s next appearance, even though the team’s immediate competitive objectives remain modest. Sergio Perez will be hoping to make the most of the occasion while continuing to contribute to the development of the team’s Formula 1 project.
Valtteri Bottas suffers sudden power unit problem at United States GP
While Sergio Perez completed the race in 19th position, Valtteri Bottas endured an even more frustrating afternoon. The Finnish driver, who won the United States Grand Prix in 2019, was forced to retire just a few laps before the finish after his Cadillac developed a technical problem.
The failure appeared suddenly as Valtteri Bottas was braking for Turn 1. The engine began making an unusual noise, and the driver subsequently experienced intermittent power delivery whenever he attempted to accelerate.
“The problem, presumably related to the power unit, appeared suddenly while braking for Turn 1,” Valtteri Bottas explained. “The engine started making an unusual noise and, when I tried to accelerate, the power delivery became intermittent. We still don’t know exactly what it was.”
Unable to continue, Valtteri Bottas parked his Cadillac at the side of the circuit, requiring marshals to intervene. Race Control subsequently activated the Virtual Safety Car to allow the stricken car to be recovered safely.
The timing proved particularly significant for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas’s former Mercedes teammate, had been closing the gap to Max Verstappen in the battle for third place. The neutralisation interrupted that comeback and reduced the opportunity for Lewis Hamilton to complete a late overtake.
The incident added another dimension to Ferrari’s frustrating near-miss at Austin, where Lewis Hamilton’s strong second-half race pace suggested that a podium might have been possible without the late Virtual Safety Car.
Cadillac’s alternative tyre strategies offered some encouragement
Before the technical failure, Valtteri Bottas felt his race had been progressing according to plan. Cadillac had decided to split its starting tyre strategies, placing the Finnish driver on the hard compound while Sergio Perez began the Grand Prix on soft tyres.
The decision was intended to give the team different strategic options and gather further information about the car’s performance. Although neither driver ultimately scored points, Valtteri Bottas believes the approach was worthwhile.
“Until that point, however, everything had been going according to plan. We decided to split the strategies between the two cars. I started on hard tyres and Checo on softs, and it was a worthwhile attempt,” Valtteri Bottas explained.
Like Sergio Perez, the Finnish driver was encouraged by how Cadillac compared with its competitors during parts of the race. The car occasionally appeared closer to the opposition than he had expected, suggesting that there may be opportunities to improve its competitiveness even before the end of the season.
“At certain stages of the race, it seemed that our pace was closer to the others than I had imagined. That’s a positive aspect we can take into the next races.”
Cadillac turns its attention to Mexico after another point-less race
The United States Grand Prix ultimately provided Cadillac with another disappointing result, leaving the team without championship points as the 2026 season approaches its conclusion. Sergio Perez’s 19th-place finish and Valtteri Bottas’s late retirement reinforced the scale of the challenge facing the American constructor.
Nevertheless, both drivers identified aspects of the weekend that could help Cadillac make progress. The team gained further experience with different tyre strategies, and its race pace proved slightly more encouraging than expected at certain points.
For Valtteri Bottas, the immediate priority will be understanding the suspected power unit failure that ended his race. Sergio Perez, meanwhile, is already looking towards the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, where he will celebrate his 300th Formula 1 appearance in front of his home supporters.
Cadillac may still be some distance from challenging consistently for points, but the team intends to use the remaining races to continue learning and building towards a more competitive future.
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