The 11th Team That Could
When Cadillac was confirmed as F1's newest team, the expectation was backmarker obscurity for at least two seasons. Instead, the Ferrari-powered American outfit has delivered something remarkable: reliability. In Melbourne, they completed 164 laps during pre-season testing in Barcelona, and Sergio Perez saw the chequered flag in the season opener.
The Driver Pairing
Valtteri Bottas brings a decade of frontrunning experience from Mercedes and Alfa Romeo, while Sergio Perez — dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2024 — has been given a chance to rebuild. Both are experienced heads who know how to develop a car, exactly what a new team needs in its debut season.
Already Ahead of Audi
The most surprising early trend of 2026 is that Cadillac — a brand new team — is already matching and occasionally beating Audi, who inherited Sauber's decades of infrastructure. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have struggled with the Audi power unit's reliability and the team's ongoing restructuring.
What to Watch in Shanghai
The Chinese Grand Prix is a sprint weekend, giving Cadillac extra track time to learn. If Bottas or Perez can break into the points, it would be a seismic moment for the team — and a vindication of General Motors' massive investment in Formula 1.
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