Formula 1 Australian GP
Cadillac’s main weakness revealed after Q1 exit on F1 debut
Valtteri Bottas says Cadillac is “definitely lacking performance” following a tough qualifying session in Melbourne, and explains why
Ben Vinel Stuart Codling
Edited: Mar 8, 2026, 6:26 PM
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Cadillac’s first qualifying session in Formula 1 ended in a double Q1 exit at the Australian Grand Prix, with the American car’s flaws now obvious.
Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas failed to emerge out of Q1 in the newly named MAC-26 despite three drivers being unable to set a single lap time. They qualified down in 18th and 19th respectively, more than three seconds off the pace; Perez was 1.4 seconds away from 16th-placed Oliver Bearman, the slowest driver to reach Q2.
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But for F1’s newest team, performing reliably was a victory in itself, especially after the likes of Aston Martin and Williams encountered terminal issues.
“You know, it is our first ever qualifying session, we were on the schedule, we managed to get the car there on time; obviously disrupted by red flags like everyone else, but we've turned up to each session, we're going to be turning up to the race tomorrow,” Bottas said.
“So we've got to start somewhere, and now we see that we are definitely lacking performance, and the direction is pretty clear on where to push and how to develop the car.”
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“It was a very challenging session for us today,” Perez added, having completed only 16 laps on Friday due to a fuel system problem and a hydraulic leak. “Leading up to qualifying, we haven't done any laps, so I think qualifying went really well in terms of procedures, in terms of maximising what we have as a car. And that's all I can ask for now.
“It's obviously clear on the lap times that we have a lot of work to do. It's been a massive effort for the team to be here, both cars doing qualifying at a very high level. Now we need to [look] at the lap time, and we've got a lot to find.”
So where’s that lap time deficit coming from? Had Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Williams’ Carlos Sainz been able to get a lap in, the cutoff point for Q2 might have been even more elusive.
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With Perez 2.8s slower than the fastest Ferrari-powered car, the answer unsurprisingly lies with downforce and mechanical grip.
“We see that probably the big thing with the car now is we're lacking load,” Bottas analysed. “We're just losing in all the corner apexes, we can't carry enough speed, so there's lots to work on, lots to improve. But, again, we had to see what was the starting point and this is where we're at.
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
“It's a big gap, that's for sure, but it is a starting point. As you know, some of the car designs had to be released very early just to have something, so there will be developments coming in the next races and throughout the season.”
As far as tomorrow’s race is concerned, points might be an unrealistic target unless tremendous attrition occurs – which is not unplausible with the new power units still encountering teething problems.
“All I can ask for tomorrow is to do the same, you know, get a solid race,” Perez simply said. “Hopefully tomorrow we can really have a strong race, maximise whatever is possible.
“I think it's going to be chaos tomorrow. It's going to be a video game race tomorrow. So, I just hope I can have fun.”
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