Cadillac’s newly opened Silverstone base, as described by Valtteri Bottas, already outperforms the Brackley grounds of Mercedes.
Factory Verdict
After a brisk drive from Silverstone, Valtteri Bottas, who spent 2017‑2021 with Mercedes, weighed in on Cadillac’s facilities.
When Chat‑Financial Times asked whether the new complex surpasses the legendary Brackley operation, he answered simply: “I would say so.”
Inside a New Facility
Cadillac’s Silverstone plant, finished just weeks before the campaign’s start, merges cutting‑edge equipment with a tightly integrated layout.
Team‑mate Sergio Perez echoed the sentiment, noting “everything is new: the equipment, the platforms, how nicely it is connected. It felt like a new home.”
Perez added that the layout groups numerous departments—design, engineering and powertrain—into a single coherent environment.
Performance Gaps
Despite the impressive setting, the 2024 grid has yet to see Cadillac earn a single point after 17 races.
Bottas, who retired from eight of those meetings, stressed that early‑season reliability hurdles limited the car’s pace.
“Once you have issues, you focus on fixing instead of making the car faster,” he explained. He sees incremental gains in each weekend’s operations, though they have not yet translated to the results trackside.
Building Momentum
Cadillac continues expanding: a powertrain centre is underway in North Carolina while a new headquarters rises in Fishers, Indiana.
Both installations aim to harness the fresh facilities at Silverstone as a foundation for evolution over the season.
“Getting the best from myself and the team is the only way forward,” Bottas said, underscoring the belief that performance upgrades will arrive as reliability stabilises.
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