Cadillac experienced another complicated Grand Prix in the Netherlands, with Sergio Pérez unable to do better than 15th while Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire about ten laps from the finish.
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For Marcin Budkowski’s debut at the head of the team, the race pace offered some reasons for satisfaction, but reliability remains a concern.
Starting from the pit lane after modifications made to his car overnight, Pérez gradually moved up through the field.
Pérez limits the damage
The Mexican first found himself behind his teammate before Cadillac managed to use the overcut to allow him to pass Bottas. The rest of his strategy, however, was compromised by the intervention of the virtual safety car, whose timing caused him to lose an opportunity to gain more positions.
« I think starting from the pit lane was the right decision and we made good progress during the race, explains Pérez. Our pace was good and, after being stuck behind Valtteri on the first lap, we managed to make the overcut work and get ahead. Unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky with the virtual safety car. »
Pérez finally finished 15th, ahead of Carlos Sainz’s Williams, and prefers to focus on the progress made during the race: « There are positive elements to take away. We always give our maximum and today we showed good pace and made progress. »
Sixth retirement of the season for Bottas
Bottas’s race ended in a much more frustrating way. The Finn had managed to stay relatively close to the Williams cars during his first stint before Cadillac detected a hydraulic problem affecting the rear wing.
The car was brought back to the pits about ten laps from the finish, but the team was unable to resolve the problem. This is already Bottas’s sixth retirement this season: « Unfortunately, we encountered a hydraulic problem affecting the rear wing », he explains.
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The breakdown is all the more concerning as Pérez had encountered a similar problem earlier in the weekend: « Checo had experienced the same problem earlier this weekend and now it penalized us with only a few laps remaining. It’s a shame, but I’m convinced the team will be able to resolve it. »
Bottas nevertheless believes that his first stint demonstrated that Cadillac could get closer to Williams. The team must now analyze why its performance was less convincing in the second part of the race.
Budkowski identifies two priorities
Zandvoort also marked Marcin Budkowski’s first Grand Prix at the helm of Cadillac. The new team principal was immediately faced with a particularly busy weekend, with changing conditions and several delicate strategic decisions.
« A turbulent debut and a good re-immersion for me with Cadillac, with many complex decisions to make regarding strategy in the changing conditions of Zandvoort », acknowledges Budkowski, supported by technical director Nick Chester (photo above), his former colleague from Alpine F1 in Enstone.
The executive expressed satisfaction with Pérez’s fighting spirit but naturally regretted Bottas’s retirement. Beyond the raw result, he believes that two areas must now focus Cadillac’s efforts: performance and reliability.
« It’s good to be back and I want to thank the team for all their hard work during this busy weekend, he concludes. We have work to do on pace and reliability, but we will get there. »
Cadillac therefore leaves the Netherlands without points, but with some encouraging signs regarding its race pace. A few days before Monza, the priority will be above all to resolve the hydraulic problem that affected both cars during the weekend.
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