Cadillac brings substantial Austrian GP upgrade in latest midfield push

Cadillac keeps development pressure on at the Red Bull Ring

Cadillac will introduce another substantial upgrade package at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix as the new Formula 1 team continues its push to close the gap to the midfield.

The American squad began its first F1 campaign as a backmarker, but its recent development cadence has started to show signs of progress. The MAC-26 has already received a sequence of updates, including a revised rear wing and exhaust in Monaco, followed by further rear wing and cooling changes in Barcelona.

That Spanish Grand Prix weekend offered one of the clearest indicators yet that Cadillac is beginning to edge closer to the pack. Sergio Perez qualified 1.9s away from the fastest Q1 time and was 1.2s quicker than the Aston Martins, underlining that the team’s gains are beginning to translate into competitive reference points.

Cadillac’s latest step arrives at the Red Bull Ring, with Silverstone following immediately after in a demanding phase of the calendar. For more context on the team’s build-up to this package, read our earlier report on Sergio Perez teasing Cadillac’s big Austrian GP upgrade.

New sidepods and floor headline the package

Team principal Graeme Lowdon said the compressed run of races is testing Cadillac’s operational capacity as much as its technical progress.

“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,” Lowdon said.

The new package is centred on sidepods and floor updates, a significant workload for a team still trying to establish itself in Formula 1’s competitive order.

“We are however pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package this weekend,” Lowdon added. “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.”

Lowdon also stressed that Cadillac is not underplaying the challenge of Austria, while maintaining confidence that the team can make further progress.

Perez sees momentum despite recent frustration

Perez came close to points in a chaotic Monaco race before a more difficult Spanish round, but he remains encouraged by Cadillac’s development rate.

“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,” Perez said.

The Mexican pointed to the factory’s effort in delivering new parts as a key factor in Cadillac’s current trajectory.

“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.”