The cancellation in the Middle East left an unexpected gap in the calendar. But in F1, a cancelled race is just another opportunity. Cadillac plans to use these weeks to work on Checo's car and solve the performance issues they've been dealing with since the start.
The car completed the first two races of the year, in Australia and China, without major mechanical issues, that in itself is a win for a team just starting its journey in the top category. But the reality is the pace isn't where it should be.
Today, Cadillac is far from the points, and the gap to the midfield is pretty clear. So this forced break comes at a good time to sit down and work without the pressure of a race every two weeks.
Bottas was the first to address this. According to the Finn, who spoke to Motorsport, the extra time is a chance to finally have a clean week without rushing from race to race.He admitted the team has been working flat out for months, so this breather is welcome, but the key takeaway from his interview was the technical admission: they know they're lacking quite a bit of downforce, particularly at the rear.
That's forcing them into a corner with the mechanical setup, always having to protect the rear end, the idea is to gain some downforce to unlock a bit more of the car's potential.
It's interesting, though, because Bottas talks in plural, as if the solutions will come for both cars. But deep down, everyone knows the focus is on Checo. The Mexican arrived at Cadillac as the big signing, the project leader, and so far the results haven't followed. It's not his fault; the car simply can't do more, but in F1, results are the only thing that shuts people up. Excuses have a short shelf life, so these extra days at the factory are key for the team to give Checo a more competitive car when action resumes in Japan.
No one wanted to see those races cancelled, especially the fans. But if you're Cadillac, you'd be stupid not to see the silver lining, they've got the time, they've got the resources, and they've got a driver of Checo's caliber waiting for a car that can show what he can do. Let's see if this break is the turning point they needed.
The next date on the calendar is the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, scheduled for late March, by then, Cadillac expects to introduce upgrades that will allow Checo Perez and Valtteri Bottas to make a step forward in performance. The team is working against the clock to take advantage of these weeks without competition and arrive in better shape for the third round of the championship.