Cadillac faced another demanding weekend during their debut Formula 1 season as they tackled wet track conditions for the first time at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. A heavy downpour prior to the race start forced a delayed departure and threw teams into uncertainty regarding the correct tyre compound for the opening laps. Opting for a bold strategy, the American squad sent both of their drivers out on slick tyres, a gamble that ultimately backfired for Valtteri Bottas.
The Finnish driver struggled to keep his car on track before losing control at Turn 13 on the ninth lap, resulting in an accident that forced his immediate retirement. The incident prompted race control to deploy the first safety car period of the race, allowing many competitors to pit for intermediate tyres. Reflecting on the difficult opening phase, Valtteri Bottas admitted that starting on soft slicks carried inherent risks that failed to pay off as the track dried much slower than anticipated.
"Partire con gomme slick a mescola morbida comporta sempre dei rischi e, alla fine, la scelta non ha pagato," stated Valtteri Bottas when reviewing the strategic error. "Al via, vedendo la velocita con cui le vetture dotate di gomme intermedie affrontavano il tracciato, ci si e resi subito conto della situazione. Pensavamo che la pista si sarebbe asciugata piu in fretta e che valesse la pena tentare qualcosa, ma alla fine non ha funzionato. Ho corso dei rischi cercando di tenere il passo del gruppo e, alla fine, e stato un mio errore a porre fine alla nostra gara; non posso che scusarmi con la squadra per questo."
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez managed to weather the storm and reach the chequered flag, though he could only salvage a 19th-place finish. After swapping to intermediate rubber, the Mexican veteran found decent pace and successfully carved out a comfortable gap to the cars behind him. However, the intervention of the safety car wiped out his hard-earned advantage, neutralizing the team's mid-race progress.
"E stata una gara molto dura. Pensavamo che la pista si sarebbe asciugata molto piu in fretta, ma fin dal primo giro mi sono reso conto di quanto fosse difficile tenere la vettura in pista," shared Sergio Perez regarding the challenging conditions. He also noted early software glitches that hampered their initial stint, a matter currently under FIA review. Following this chaotic outing, Cadillac remains the only outfit on the grid yet to score a championship point this season.
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