Cadillac looking to build in Japan on team’s ‘strong foundation’

Cadillac arrive at the Japanese Grand Prix looking to build on a productive weekend in Shanghai, where both cars crossed the finish line for the first time.

After debuting in Australia and navigating the early season hurdles, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez delivered a double finish in China, classified 13th and 15th, giving the fledgling American outfit its first real taste of progress.

For team principal Graeme Lowdon, the journey from the season opener in Melbourne to this weekend’s round at Suzuka has been a masterclass in rapid evolution. While the team remains a "work in progress," the foundational cracks are being filled with remarkable speed.

“From Australia to China, we made significant steps forward in only a short amount of time,” he said. “We are progressing quickly and every session we are learning more about ourselves as a team.

“Our performance improves every time we hit the track, thanks to continuing teamwork, operational refinements and, of course, our growing understanding of the car.”

Reliability remains at the core of Cadillac’s strategy, as Lowdon underscored.

“All this contributes to improving reliability and then our ability to race other teams,” he added.

“I am convinced we have a very special group of people here and I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundation we established at the beginning of the season as we move to Suzuka this weekend.”

Drivers focused on execution

Sergio Perez knows Suzuka will test the team’s current limits but the Mexican remains optimistic.

“The team has been pushing hard over the first two races of the season, and we have already made clear progress,” he said. “

“The Sprint weekend in China was another new challenge, but we handled it well and came away stronger. I’m excited to continue pushing at Suzuka, a real drivers’ circuit and one where I’ve had podiums before.

“While the higher downforce configuration will make it a more difficult weekend for us, we’ll approach it in the same way, focus on having trouble free sessions, progress each time we hit the track and get to the end of the race.”

Perez’s fellow F1 returnee, Valtteri Bottas, His teammate, brings the golden memory of a 2019 victory to the garage, providing a veteran benchmark for a team still finding its ceiling.

• Read also: Andretti assesses Cadillac’s early struggles and driver progress

“I really enjoy Japan for many reasons, and I have great memories of my win in 2019,” he said.

“We aren’t in that position at Cadillac yet, but the Chinese Grand Prix felt good. Having both cars finish in only our second ever race was really important for us. We have taken a lot of learnings from Shanghai and are in a stronger position heading to Suzuka.”

As the engines fire up in the shadow of Suzuka’s famous Ferris wheel, Cadillac isn't just racing its rivals – they are racing to prove that their methodical rise is the real deal.

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