Cadillac’s ambitious 10‑upgrade rollout fizzled into a technical nightmare at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, causing both Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas to abandon the session.
Cadillac’s 10‑Upgrade Package Colder Than Expected
The American outfit returned to Spielberg with a hefty performance calibration, featuring new bodywork, floor, diffuser, and rear wing – a mid-season overhaul expected to curb tire wear for the entire sprint weekend.
Pérez’s Early Flat‑line: A Red‑Flag Prelude
In FP 1, Pérez’s No. 11 suffered a sudden red flag; FP 2 triggered a Virtual Safety Car after the car’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU) tripped. Mechanics replaced the ECU, but the issue persisted.
Nick Chester explained, “It was an electrical fault cutting the car to zero. We’re swapping components and hoping to clear it before FP 3.”
Bottas’s Floor Fire Sparks Assembly Fiasco
During FP 2, Bottas’s car caught fire at the leading edge of the floor early in the session. The incident came after technical evaluation of the upgraded parts in FP 1.
Chester said, “There was a build issue with Valtteri’s mid‑front. The floor settled too far down, which caused the fire.”
No Ferrari Power Unit Upgrade Amid Resource Strain
The team opted against adding the much‑anticipated Ferrari power‑unit upgrade this weekend, citing a shortage of factory resources and the heavy workload imposed by the aerodynamic package.
“Trying to fit a PU change alongside the current upgrades would have been too much,” Chester noted. “The introduction will likely be postponed to Silverstone or Spa.”
Looking Ahead to Silverstone or Spa
Cadillac now targets a potential power‑unit reveal during the British or Belgian rounds, while the technical director remains optimistic that the next round of upgrades will resolve the reliability concerns unveiled Sunday.
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