After completing the morning session, Valtteri Bottas revealed his impressions of driving the Cadillac during the first day of testing in Barcelona. On Monday, January 26, the Shakedown began to allow all teams to collect essential data ahead of the new Formula 1 season. Early feedback on this new generation of cars comes from Valtteri Bottas, who, after taking the wheel of the Cadillac in the morning session, shared his thoughts from the track: here’s the latest from Barcelona.
Barcelona testing: what happened
On a cold and tightly controlled day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, seven of the eleven F1 teams hit the track. These kilometres are crucial for drivers who, after simulator sessions, finally get to experience this new generation of cars firsthand. The sessions are equally vital for teams to gather preliminary data and check that the car’s key systems, particularly the Power Unit, are working correctly.
Timing data is still provisional, as the amount of running completed by each team is not fully known. This day was especially significant for newcomers like Cadillac, which ran in the morning with Valtteri Bottas and continued with Sergio Perez in the afternoon. For the American team, this marked the first extended track running after just a few laps at Silverstone, continuing preparation for its F1 debut.
Bottas shares his first impressions
Valtteri Bottas provided an overview of this new generation of cars immediately after stepping out of the cockpit. “It’s great to be back in F1,” admitted the Finnish driver, reflecting on his previous season as Mercedes’ third driver. “With a new team making its debut in the category, it’s a unique feeling. The performance numbers don’t tell the full story yet, but the important thing was completing several runs to start understanding the car and how to get it working properly.”
“This morning it was very cold, and it was quite difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature. Only over time did the thermometer rise and conditions improve.” Valtteri Bottas acknowledged the challenges posed by these new cars: “There are definitely some issues, but I think every team has to face them in these first days.”
“What kind of team did I find?” he revealed. “I really like everything. They approach everything with fresh eyes, from multiple angles. They’ve worked incredibly hard to get here, starting from scratch. It’s a bigger challenge than for any other team.”
As the 2026 pre-season continues to develop, it is clear that we are only witnessing the first steps of a massive learning curve for the newest team on the grid. Valtteri Bottas’ feedback highlights the “debugging” phase that defines these early tests, where reliability and system integration take precedence over raw speed. For Cadillac, a smooth start with a veteran like Bottas is exactly what they need to build a solid foundation before the season opener in Australia.
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