For the first time in 2026, F1 is back on track. A behind-the-scenes shakedown is currently happening in Barcelona ahead of testing later on in February. For Valtteri Bottas, the Barcelona shakedown marks his return to F1, and the first time driving for Cadillac F1 Team.
Glad to be back
Bottas has been away from the grid for the last year, after losing his seat at Sauber at the end of 2024. But he returns to the grid as a Cadillac driver this year. With his first session on track completed, he reflected on how it feels to be back.
“It’s great to be back. And also brand new team in the sport is a really, really unique situation. I really enjoyed getting back on track. I’ve never driven this car, so it’s good to be out there.
“But performance-wise, I wouldn’t say much yet. The main thing is we got some running done. At the end, we got a little bit of a longer run as well in. So these are the first steps of debugging and getting everything to work better.”
Bottas’s first day at the Barcelona shakedown
The Barcelona shakedown is the first time teams have been able to run their new cars under the 2026 F1 regulations. With so many changes being made this year, the early sessions are bound to have some complications. Bottas commented on how the team have been working through this on the track and making the most out of the session.
“It was cold. Early morning, it’s quite hard to get the tyres to work here, as we know. But as the temperature picked up, things got a bit better. We had some issues throughout the day. Like I said, it’s debugging, that’s why we’re here, and it seems like every team had some issues. It’s just now really figuring out those and then getting more running each day. But it’s just great to be here and in the car.”
Settling in at Cadillac
Cadillac is not only a new team for Bottas, but also a new team on the grid. In 2026, they are joining F1 as the 11th constructor. Barcelona is the first chance the team have had to get their car on track. With so much to learn, they will be looking to extract as much data as possible from the session.
Cadillac is Bottas’ fourth team, and so far he is settling in well.
“I really enjoy everything so far with the team. Everyone is looking at things with fresh eyes and from different angles. We have lots of experience from different teams. Everyone has been working so hard to be here. Starting from zero, it’s a bigger challenge than for the other teams, I think. So very proud of everyone so far, and I am enjoying it.”
The new regulations in F1 2026
The Barcelona shakedown is the first time Bottas and the other drivers have been able to sample the 2026 cars on proper Pirelli dry tyres. The new regulations bring changes to many areas of the car, including new power units and active aerodynamics. With the first session underway, Bottas has started to get to grips with his new car.
“It’s definitely a big difference from before. The car handles differently; you have a bit less load, especially in the high-speed corners. The PU, you know, has so much more torque out of the corners. But then you have the battery to manage. For Ferrari, this is the first proper day of running with their power unit, so naturally, there is a learning curve. Still lots to learn, lots to improve. But it’s quite a challenge for every team.
“Priority list now is get more laps each day. I think I did more than 30 laps today and some of them were kind of instals and stuff. We need to get some proper running in, get the milage in and make sure we get a reliable package for Race 1.”
