Perez and Bottas Reflect on Dutch GP as Cadillac Shows Promise
Cadillac's debut F1 season continues to be a learning curve, with drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas drawing positives from the Dutch GP. Despite not scoring points, the team is encouraged by the car's performance improvements.
Cadillac, still in search of their first points in Formula 1, found a glimmer of hope at the Dutch Grand Prix. Despite the ongoing challenges of their debut season, drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas noted some positives from the weekend at Zandvoort.
Perez, who ended the race in P15, expressed satisfaction with the car's performance, calling the pace 'strong' once they were clear of traffic. He highlighted the various parts and set-up changes implemented over the weekend, which seemed to bring a better balance to the car. "I was much happier with the car," Perez noted, emphasizing that they explored its potential thoroughly. "In different conditions, we found ourselves quite pleased with where we ended up."
While the team still needs to shave off significant time to compete with the midfield consistently, Perez remains optimistic about the progress. "We still need that half a second to a second to mix it up with the midfield," he said, "but today, we maximized our performance."
Valtteri Bottas, however, faced a tougher time, unable to finish the race due to a hydraulic failure just 11 laps from the end. This marked his sixth DNF in 12 races, yet he remained philosophical about the setbacks. "It's quite a few DNFs in a row, which is not ideal," Bottas admitted, "but I'm sure we can learn something from this weekend again."
Reflecting on his race, Bottas mentioned that the first stint went smoothly, but issues emerged in the second stint, leading to unpredictable car behavior. "The car became really inconsistent," he said, pondering whether the problem started earlier in the race. The focus now shifts to investigating these issues further, with Bottas emphasizing the importance of learning from each race.
Cadillac's journey in Formula 1 is proving to be one of patience and persistence. While the immediate results might not be spectacular, the team remains focused on understanding and improving their car's performance as they continue to navigate the challenges of their inaugural season.