Given how busy the winter was for a start-up operation, the surprise hiatus would have been well received by Cadillac more than most other teams—not that work would have eased back at its factory. Cadillac has started towards the back of the field, but has gradually ticked off achievements, from its first race finish, to a double finish, to not being lapped. They may be minor accomplishments in the grand scheme of the team’s ambitions but progress is being made.
The MAC-26 is a backmarker but upgrades are in the pipeline—as they are for the majority of teams—and it’ll be a key test of the team’s processes and procedures not just to apply new components, but gather the data, and understand their efficacy. That not only sets the tone for the rest of the 2026 development but also for 2027 and beyond in terms of in-season operation and correlation.
Cadillac has done well so far, but now the ambition is to latch onto the rear of the midfield and not spend the rest of the campaign cut adrift with only the beleaguered Aston Martins for company.