Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas believes his team’s new Formula 1 facilities have already surpassed those of his former employer, Mercedes
Cadillac has yet to score a single point in its first Formula 1 season, but Valtteri Bottas believes the team has better facilities than the most successful team of the hybrid era: Mercedes. When asked by the Financial Times whether Cadillac’s facilities surpass those of the Brackley-based team, Bottas replied: “I would certainly say so.”
The Finn was with Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, and he celebrated all ten of his Grand Prix victories there alongside Lewis Hamilton. He knows the inner workings of the Brackley operation, and Cadillac’s base at Silverstone is just a short drive away.
Team-mate Sergio Perez spent four years at Red Bull, another highly successful racing team. “We’ve been to the factory, and it’s very impressive,” he said of the Cadillac factory. “I’ve never seen a factory like this in my career. It’s really, really impressive.”
What impressed him most of all, Perez said, was that everything was new. “First of all, because everything is new: the equipment they have, the platforms, how beautifully everything is connected, all the different departments. It’s like a new home, very well organised. It was really lovely to see.”
A recently completed production facility in Silverstone is now up and running, whilst construction continues in parallel at sites in the US. Cadillac’s American headquarters is being built in Fishers, Indiana, and work on the powertrains is based in North Carolina.
A shiny factory does little for reliability
After 17 races, Cadillac is still waiting for its first point, and Bottas has retired from eight of them. He does not pretend that the results suggest otherwise, but emphasises that progress is being made.
“We’re definitely seeing an improvement somewhere every weekend. Not necessarily in the results yet, but in how we’re working as a team in various areas,” says the Finn.
He also explains why the improvements aren’t yet showing on the track: “As soon as you have problems, whether in practice or qualifying, you can’t improve. You just try to fix the problems instead of focusing on performance and making the car faster.”
When asked how he can help the team move forward, Bottas remains humble: “The most important thing is to get the most out of myself and be the best version of myself that I can be.”
“That applies just as much to the people around me. I try to ensure that they get the most out of themselves and give everything they’ve got. In the end, that’s all we can do.”
Buildings, equipment and modern processes are the easy part of setting up a new Formula 1 team, because money can buy all of that. Turning that into a car that finishes races and subsequently scores points is a slower and less glamorous task.