Bottas Confirms Early Issues for Cadillac in Barcelona Test

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Valtteri Bottas has confirmed that Cadillac encountered “some issues” during the opening session of Formula 1’s official 2026 shakedown test in Barcelona, as the American manufacturer began its on-track programme.

The first pre-season test of the year is taking place over five days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with each team permitted to run for a maximum of three days. Cadillac opted to use the opening day, with Bottas driving during the Monday morning session.

Bottas unofficially completed 33 laps and set a best time of 1:24.651. Although that lap was almost six seconds slower than the benchmark set by Isack Hadjar for Red Bull Racing, outright lap times are considered irrelevant at this early stage of pre-season running.

Data Gathering the Priority for Cadillac

For Cadillac, the Barcelona test represents a foundational step ahead of its debut season in Formula 1. The primary objective is to collect as much data as possible on car behaviour, systems integration, and correlation between simulator work and on-track performance, rather than pursuing headline lap times.

Within that context, Bottas acknowledged that encountering early technical issues was an expected part of the process, particularly under the all-new 2026 regulations.

Cold Conditions and Technical Hurdles

Reflecting on the morning session, Bottas pointed to both environmental and technical challenges, noting that low track temperatures made tyre preparation difficult early on.

“It was cold in the early morning. It’s quite hard to get the tyres to work here, as we know,” Bottas said.

He explained that conditions improved as temperatures rose, but issues continued to arise throughout the session.

“As the temperature picked up, things got a bit better, but we had some issues throughout the day. Like I said, it’s de-bugging. That’s why we’re here.”

Common Early-Test Scenario

Bottas also stressed that Cadillac was not alone in facing difficulties on the opening day, with several teams experiencing similar challenges as they began running their new cars.

“It seems like every team had some issues. So now it’s really about figuring those out and getting more and more running each day.”

Despite the interruptions, Bottas expressed satisfaction at being back on track and contributing to the early development phase.

“Like I said, it’s just great to be here and in the car.”

Building Toward the Next Phase

The opening session in Barcelona marks the first step in Cadillac’s Formula 1 learning curve. With limited track time available during pre-season testing, resolving early issues quickly will be key to maximising mileage and progress before the two subsequent tests in Bahrain.

For Bottas and Cadillac, the emphasis now shifts toward improving reliability and consistency, using the data gathered in Barcelona to accelerate development ahead of the more representative Bahrain sessions and the start of the 2026 campaign.