Cadillac’s entrance into Formula 1 has not been tidy. After a long fight to become the eleventh team on the grid, the reality of race weekends has been tougher than expected. New regulations, a complex car package, and the usual race-day headaches have all made the start difficult.

Experienced drivers, bumpy introduction

The team put its faith in two seasoned drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Team principal Graeme Lowdon chose them because both know how to handle pressure and help develop complicated cars. Even so, understanding the complete package that includes strategy, reliability, and race management takes time.

The number that surprises

After the opening two rounds, the stat that caught everyone’s attention is simple and unexpected. Cadillac completed 180 laps across the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix. That total is higher than what McLaren and Red Bull managed in the same span.

Some context on those laps: Bottas retired after 15 laps in Australia. Both Cadillac drivers were lapped in each race, so neither finished on the lead lap. Still, the team kept the cars running for a lot of track time compared with several rivals.

Why lap count matters

  • Data and development: More laps mean more data to learn from. That helps engineers find problems and make the car better between events.
  • Reliability signals: Completing laps even at a slower pace is a sign that the basic systems are holding together under race conditions.
  • Race experience: Real race mileage highlights issues that testing alone cannot reveal, from pit stops to tyre behavior.

McLaren’s tougher start

If Cadillac’s total looks decent, McLaren’s numbers look thin in comparison. The Woking team completed just 58 laps across the same two races, which is less than one third of Cadillac’s total. That points to a more serious problem with finishing races and collecting on-track time.

Bottom line

Cadillac’s opening acts have been rough, but the team has managed to run a surprising amount of race distance. The headline is not that Cadillac is suddenly a frontrunner. The headline is that, while still struggling, the American squad has gathered meaningful track time early on, more than some established teams. For a new entry, that is an important building block.