Cadillac F1 made history in Australia by finishing its very first Grand Prix: while Valtteri Bottas had to retire, Checo Pérez crossed the finish line at the wheel of the MAC-26 in 16th position.
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Despite a weekend marred by technical problems and understandable teething troubles, this promising start should provide motivation for the team for the next round of the championship, scheduled for next week in Shanghai.
The joy of the team members after the Grand Prix in the Albert Park paddock was a pleasure to see (photo above) as they celebrated this first finish like a victory, the first race of a long series.
Moving forward
“Our first race as a team is over. Crossing the finish line is incredible and constitutes a real achievement, only one year after the confirmation of our commitment, Pérez recalled. Now that it’s done, we need to move to the next step and improve our performance to really be able to fight. We feel competitive within the team, and that’s the attitude we need to close the gap and aim higher.”
The positive picture was however overshadowed by several incidents on track. Pérez notably pushed Liam Lawson off the racing line (photo below). Although he escaped any penalty, the incident provoked the anger of the Racing Bulls driver, who believes that Pérez is still making him pay for an altercation dating back to the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
Old Pérez-Lawson dispute
“Two years later, he still hasn’t moved on, Lawson grumbled. He fights against me as if it were for the championship, even though we were in 16th position. My race was already over at that point, so let’s move on.”
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Both drivers were initially under investigation, but the stewards ultimately ruled that Pérez’s maneuver did not warrant a penalty. Lawson took the decision philosophically: “It wasn’t illegal, he was unnecessarily aggressive. Honestly, I don’t care. It was for 16th place.”
For his part, Pérez put the incident into perspective: “I was just trying to overtake him. It was a bit of a fun race, that’s all. I was in a much slower car, so I think it’s normal to fight.”
Bottas hails the positives
Valtteri Bottas did not hide his pride, even though he did not finish the race due to a technical failure: “We wrote a page of history as a team today. This is our very first Grand Prix weekend, and we are here.”
“Racing for the first time is a real moment of pride for everyone, he says. It’s a shame my race was cut short because of a fuel system problem, but we learned a lot. The team did an excellent job to ensure the finish with Checo’s car. There are many positives to take away from this weekend, and this is only the beginning of our journey together. I enjoyed the process and I’m looking forward to being in China to try again.”
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