Valtteri Bottas believes Cadillac showed encouraging signs during the 2026 F1 United States GP despite retiring in the closing stages of the race at the Circuit of the Americas.
The Finnish driver started the race from the ninth row of the grid alongside teammate Sergio Pérez as Cadillac continued to search for improvements in its debut Formula 1 season. While the team struggled for outright pace throughout the weekend, cooler conditions on Sunday allowed both drivers to run closer to their competitors, particularly Williams.
Bottas (H-S) and Pérez (S-H) adopted different strategies in an attempt to maximise their opportunities. However, Bottas suffered a suspected power unit issue towards the end of the race, forcing him to stop on track and triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Pérez ultimately finished 19th, while Bottas became one of three drivers who failed to reach the chequered flag. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured victory ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Bottas highlighted the team’s improved competitiveness and remained optimistic about its prospects heading into the Mexico City GP.
Bottas reflects on Cadillac’s double disappointment at the United States GP
Following the race, Bottas acknowledged the frustration of retiring but stressed that Cadillac could still take positives from its performance in Austin. The Finn explained that the team had yet to establish the exact cause of his retirement, although the initial signs suggested an engine-related problem.
“Of course it’s always disappointing to not finish, but it didn’t sound great from the engine side, like physically, but we don’t know the issue yet and what happened. But up until then actually it was at times quite positive to see that we were pretty close to some other cars. On pace, we decided to split the strategy, me and Checo [Sergio Pérez], and actually towards the end of the race we ended up pretty close together. So I think it’s good to try, but in the end, yeah, for me the finishing position would have been probably the same.”
Although the different strategies ultimately produced similar outcomes for both drivers, Bottas considered the decision worthwhile. The 37-year-old particularly welcomed Cadillac’s ability to remain closer to its rivals at certain stages of the race. However, he admitted that a different strategic approach would probably not have significantly changed his finishing position.
Cooler conditions help Cadillac as Bottas looks ahead to Mexico
Bottas also identified the cooler weather conditions as an important factor behind Cadillac’s more encouraging race pace at the United States GP. The Finn explained that the team continued to struggle in higher temperatures, making Sunday’s cloud cover particularly beneficial.
“I think what helped today was the cloud cover. It was a bit cooler today. We know we are not great when it’s high temperatures, so that helped a bit. But I thought it was going to be more difficult for us here, honestly, so that’s why it’s kind of positive, and I think Mexico should hopefully be a bit better for us. You said yesterday that everything is good for next year.”
Having anticipated a more challenging race at the Circuit of the Americas, Bottas found encouragement in Cadillac’s ability to stay closer to the midfield than expected. His comments also highlighted the team’s ongoing sensitivity to temperature, which remains an area for improvement as Cadillac continues its first Formula 1 campaign.
With the Mexico City GP next on the calendar, Bottas hopes the team can build on its performance at the United Sates GP and take another step towards closing the gap to its competitors.
