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Two April races have been cancelled due to the Iran war, and Cadillac now has an unexpected extra month to sort out a car that has been a work in progress from the start of the season. Valtteri Bottas is not going to pretend the timing is bad for them.
More Time Is Exactly What They Need
Bottas was straight with Motorsport.com. "I think it's actually quite favourable for us. We get more time to get things in order, because we still have problems, we haven't had a trouble-free week yet, and also more time to improve our performance. And everyone has been working incredibly hard these past months, so maybe for some it's also good to just catch their breath."
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The problems are well documented. Both Bottas and Sergio Pérez lost their wing mirrors during practice in Melbourne. The fuel system was not fully reliable in the opening races. Pit stop performance has been below the level needed to compete. Pérez explained after China why the situation was predictable from the beginning. "We expected this, we knew it. This car was ready a long time ago. It's very basic, they had to homologate it very early. So we knew the start was going to be difficult regardless."
The Rear of the Car Is the Core Problem
Both drivers have pointed to the same issue: not enough downforce at the rear. Bottas explained what that means in practical terms. "We're missing quite a bit of downforce, particularly at the rear of the car. Which means we're a bit stuck in this mechanical configuration, because we have to do everything we can to protect the rear. But once we get more downforce, there's a lot more possible."
Cadillac's best result so far is a 13th place in China, which at least suggests the pace is in the car somewhere. The break gives the team a real window to find it. Whether they are able to use that time well enough to start scoring points in the second part of the season is the question the paddock will be watching.
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