MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) \u2014 After a strong Australian debut, Cadillac principal Graeme Lowdon says the team has earned its rivals\u2019 respect and plans to build on a \u201creally solid platform\u201d for future success.<\/p>\n
General Motors brand Cadillac had a short run-up to the pinnacle of motor sport, and its 2026 debut at Melbourne\u2019s Albert Park, having only gained its commercial deal with the sport in November 2024. Though preparations were well underway at its Silverstone Park base located next to the famous UK track.<\/p>\n
The American team didn\u2019t set the time sheets alight at 2026\u2019s first race, with Sergio P\u00e9rez finishing 16th, up from 18th on the grid; while teammate Valtteri Bottas failed to finish from 19th. But it can be proud it got two cars qualified and onto the grid at the world\u2019s toughest motor racing competition, and looked properly turned out as an operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of a first race for a new team. I\u2019m really, really pleased with the way that the team\u2019s done everything,\u201d Lowdon told The Associated Press. \u201cIt would have been great to get both cars home, for sure. And I haven\u2019t been in all of the meetings yet to see what the what the detail was on the problem we had with Valtteri\u2019s car, but it certainly looked as if it wasn\u2019t something that we had direct control over.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut to get one car home, it\u2019s just kind of a mark of the start of a very, very long journey. I\u2019m kind of more pleased with the whole approach of the team. What I think we\u2019ve created here is the foundations of something that could be really very special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cadillac, though, won\u2019t be taking any heart from finishing ahead of Aston Martin, which had a nightmare season start with an uncompetitive and unreliable Honda power unit that cost it mileage to make improvements; ensuring the team is destined to be at the back for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what it does do is give some context of just how difficult Formula 1 is,\u201d Lowdon said. \u201cI\u2019ve got huge respect for Aston Martin, I know a lot of people who work there, they\u2019re incredible people who\u2019ve got great ownership. You know, there\u2019s all of the required investment there.<\/p>\n
\u201cFormula 1 is a team game. And I\u2019ve always said it, I think it\u2019s the greatest team game in the world, but it\u2019s also the most difficult team game in the world because everybody is fundamentally trying to do exactly the same thing at the same time to the same set of rules, and so the competition is fierce.\u201d<\/p>\n
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