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Valtteri Bottas has offered a starkly honest assessment of Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1, admitting that the new American team faces a "huge mountain to climb" following their debut test in Barcelona. As the first brand-new team to join the grid since Haas in 2016, Cadillac’s arrival was always going to be a steep learning curve, and the reality of the racetrack has confirmed the scale of the challenge.
Solving Problems on the Fly
The team managed to complete 164 laps over the three days—a modest total compared to the established frontrunners. Bottas revealed that the team battled numerous technical "issues" throughout the week as they learned how to operate the complex new machine. "This is really the phase where we are solving problems and learning to use the car properly," the Finn explained. Every run provided a new lesson, often in the form of a technical glitch that required hours to fix.
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Despite the struggles, Bottas described the test as a "milestone." Simply getting a car designed and built from scratch onto the track is an achievement for a rookie organization. "This was absolutely a milestone, and for me personally also the first time driving for the Cadillac Formula 1 team. That feels amazing," he said. He expressed pride in the mechanics and engineers who worked tirelessly to keep the car running, noting that the team is "growing together" with every obstacle they overcome.
A Hectic Path to Bahrain
There is no time for rest for the Cadillac drivers. Bottas revealed he is flying immediately to the United States to jump into the simulator. "It will be a busy period between now and Bahrain for the whole team," he told reporters. The goal is to correlate the data gathered in Barcelona with the virtual model, allowing the team to analyze the results and potentially manufacture new parts before the official test in Bahrain.
"Now that we finally have a lot of data from the new car, a lot of analysis follows and maybe even the development of new parts for Bahrain," Bottas concluded. "It will be hectic, but we will make sure we are ready." Cadillac knows they will likely start the season at the back of the grid, but the transparent and hardworking approach led by Bottas suggests they are building a solid foundation for the future.
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