Valtteri Bottas struck an optimistic tone after Cadillac reached a first key early milestone in its fledgling campaign, with both cars finishing the Chinese Grand Prix – an achievement that even front-runners McLaren and Red Bull Racing have yet to match in 2026.
In only its second race, Cadillac brought both drivers home, with Bottas leading team-mate Sergio Pérez across the line in 13th and 14th.
While the result may seem modest on paper, it marks a solid foundation for a team still finding its feet on the grid.
A ‘good starting point’
"For the second race, to finish with both cars and be P13 and P14, it is decent and a good starting point," Bottas said.
The Finn was realistic about where Cadillac stands competitively, acknowledging that outright pace remains a limitation.
"For sure, we are lacking pace; we can see that it is pretty much only Aston Martin at the moment that we can fight with, but at least we can fight with them,” he added;
"But if we want to beat some other teams, then we need more performance."
Even so, the ability to consistently run and finish races is already paying dividends, especially compared to more established outfits still battling inconsistency.
Aggressive upgrade push ahead
Looking forward, Bottas revealed that Cadillac is wasting no time in pushing development, with a relentless upgrade schedule already in motion.
"We were planning to have [an upgrade] for almost every race now, so for sure, there will be something for Japan, and then hopefully something bigger after the spring break.
"I actually think [the break] is quite beneficial for us, we have more time to sort things out because we still have issues.
"We still have not had a trouble-free weekend, and there will be more time to gain more performance, so everyone has been working flat out for months now.
"So actually, with a bit of a breather, as well, it is good."
With momentum building and a clear development roadmap in place, Cadillac’s steady start could soon evolve into something far more competitive as the season unfolds.
Read also: ‘That was on me’ – Perez owns up to Shanghai tangle with Bottas
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