Cadillac Unveils Substantial Aero Package at Red Bull Ring in Hunt for Midfield

Cadillac's Biggest Development Step So Far

Cadillac have confirmed they will introduce a "substantial" upgrade package at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, with new sidepods and a revised floor forming the headline items on the MAC-26.^[1] The announcement marks the most significant single-weekend development drop the American team has attempted since entering Formula 1 this year.^[2]

Team Principal Graeme Lowdon confirmed the scope of the work ahead of the Red Bull Ring weekend: "With new sidepods and floor it's a significant amount of work and we hope that it will continue our trajectory of steadily catching-up to the midfield."^[3] Alongside the aerodynamic components, the package also includes revised bodywork and cooling updates.^[1]

Valtteri Bottas put numbers to the expected gain, telling media on Thursday that the new parts should deliver around 10 points of additional downforce.^[4] The Finn arrives at a circuit where he has a strong personal record, having won there in 2017 and again in 2020, and views the upgrade as a meaningful step for the car's balance.^[4]

Context: A Season of Incremental Progress

Cadillac sit last in the Constructors' Championship after seven rounds and are still to open their 2026 points account.^[5] Their nearest moment came at Monaco, where Sergio Perez crossed the line in tenth before a five-second penalty for a start infringement dropped him to fifteenth.^[1] Earlier upgrades across Monaco and Barcelona targeted the rear wing, exhaust and cooling; at the Red Bull Ring the team shifts focus to the aerodynamic platform itself with the new floor and sidepod geometry.^[2]

Perez acknowledged that tyre degradation remains a separate challenge not directly addressed by the Austrian package, but expressed confidence in the overall development trajectory.^[2] Bottas retired from the previous race in Barcelona-Catalunya due to overheating trouble, making the cooling updates bundled into this weekend's package particularly relevant.^[1]

:::analysis The choice of the Red Bull Ring as the debut circuit for a major floor-and-sidepod revision carries genuine risk. Austria's short lap, heavy braking zones and significant elevation changes are demanding on aerodynamic stability; a package that underdelivers on corner entry or upsets the car's mechanical balance could be difficult to diagnose across a compressed race weekend. That said, a circuit with long, flat-out sections also amplifies raw downforce gains, so if the simulation data is accurate the team could register a tangible qualifying improvement relative to the midfield. The downforce figure cited by Bottas is notable for a team at this stage of its debut season. :::

Alongside the technical upgrades, Cadillac will also debut a refined version of its livery at the Red Bull Ring.^[5]

Related reading

• Tire degradation explained
• How the undercut works in F1 strategy

^[1]: formula1.com, "Cadillac share details of 'substantial' Austria upgrade package as F1 newcomers push to climb order," accessed 2026-06-25. ^[2]: motorsport.com, "Cadillac reveals 'substantial upgrade package' for F1 Austrian GP," accessed 2026-06-25. ^[3]: crash.net, "Cadillac reveal significant upgrades for Austrian Grand Prix," accessed 2026-06-25. ^[4]: motorsportweek.com, "Valtteri Bottas delivers hope for big Cadillac gains with F1 upgrades suite," accessed 2026-06-25. ^[5]: grandprix247.com, "Cadillac: We are pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package to Austria," accessed 2026-06-25.