Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon expressed encouragement following the 2026 Barcelona shakedown as the new F1 team completed their maiden test. Lowdon reflected on the four days of running with their first ever F1 car. He highlighted the combined experience of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as crucial to the team’s progress. Cadillac worked through typical new-car issues while becoming more streamlined with each session.
Excitement and encouragement after final day for Lowdon and Cadillac after 2026 F1 Barcelona shakedown
Lowdon shared positive feelings about Cadillac’s 2026 Barcelona shakedown when asked about the team’s outlook. The final day of testing left the team principal feeling optimistic about the season ahead.
“I think one of excitement and encouragement as well. You know, really happy with the way things have gone. We’ve steadily worked through all the usual niggles and the like that you find with a brand new car,” Lowdon stated.
Lowdon’s 2026 F1 Barcelona shakedown assessment emphasised the brief timeframe Cadillac had with their car. He noted the team’s impressive progress despite limited running.
“But also, you have to remember, it’s only the fourth day of this team running their Formula 1 car. But every day we’re getting more streamlined. The procedures are working well,” he explained.
Team cohesion at Cadillac impressed Graeme Lowdon throughout the 2026 Barcelona shakedown.
“People are working extremely well together, which I’m really, really happy about. So, you know, encouraged. Still a lot of work to do, but that’s the same for all of the teams up the pit lane,” Lowdon added.
The team principal concluded his assessment with optimism for Bahrain: “But I think we’ll be heading to Bahrain with a really positive feeling.”
Driver experience proving invaluable
The combined experience of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas significantly benefited Cadillac F1 Team’s 2026 Barcelona shakedown. When asked about the driver line-up, Lowdon highlighted their extensive credentials as both are multi-time race winners.
“Yeah, the combined experience of the drivers is extremely important. You know, they’ve got multiple Grand Prix wins between them, 16 Grand Prix wins, 160 or so, whatever it is, podiums. But more importantly, experience of working with multiple teams,” he stated.
The veteran pairing already demonstrated their value during the 2026 Barcelona shakedown. Lowdon explained how their input helped the brand new team.
“And we’re reaping the benefits of that already. You know, working with a brand new car and a brand new team and every single thing in that garage is brand new. And that would be a very difficult environment for a rookie,” Lowdon noted.
“And so already, just in the way the drivers have interacted and helped to feed into the engineers and the mechanics, we’re already reaping the benefits of that experience,” he added.
Bahrain focus shifts to performance
Cadillac plans a different approach for Bahrain testing after the Barcelona shakedown. Team principal Graeme Lowdon outlined how priorities will change between the two sessions.
“Well, hopefully, you know, the target for this week was very much shakedown, you know, try and remove all of the different, you know, taking off various tests, various kind of things that are less performance orientated, they’re more to do with reliability and ensuring that we have a stable platform,” Lowdon explained.
This past week’s shakedown focused primarily on reliability rather than outright speed. Lowdon confirmed this approach matched other teams up and down the pit lane.
“And I think that’s pretty much the same up and down the pit lane. And then Bahrain is much more of a focus on performance, actually trying to see how fast can we actually make the cars go,” he stated.
Cadillac worked through various testing parameters during the 2026 Barcelona shakedown. The team addressed issues at different extremes while managing typical new car problems.
“And there hasn’t been much of that so far. It’s been primarily ensuring that we work through different programs, testing different parameters, testing things at different extremes and also working through, you know, any niggles that have appeared,” Lowdon noted.
“So I think what we’ll see more in Bahrain is an attentional turn to performance instead of reliability,” he concluded.
Lowdon’s limited trackside viewing during 2026 F1 Barcelona shakedown
Lowdon admitted he rarely watched the car on track during the Barcelona shakedown. When asked if he observed the car as it went around the circuit, he described the typical team principal experience.
“No, you know, that’s one of the classic things about working in a Formula One team. You see the cars when they drive out the garage and come back into the pit lane, but it’s very seldom you get time to actually get out on track,” Lowdon explained.
The Cadillac F1 team principal hopes to spend more time trackside in Bahrain.
“I certainly hope to do some of that in Bahrain because you can visually see characteristics of the cars. But I have to say this week I haven’t really seen much of the cars on track,” he stated.
