Cadillac Arrives at the Red Bull Ring with New Sidepods and Revised Floor

Cadillac confirms new sidepods and revised floor for Round 8

Cadillac have confirmed they will introduce a "substantial" upgrade package at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the team still seeking their first points of the 2026 season. ^[1] The squad arrives at the Red Bull Ring for Round 8 of the championship backed by a substantial aerodynamic update featuring revised sidepods and a new floor for its MAC-26. ^[4]

The new American team started life in F1 as a backmarker but has been making inroads performance-wise, courtesy of consistent updates to the MAC-26; this included an upgraded rear wing and exhaust in Monaco, followed by further rear wing and cooling improvements at Barcelona, where Sergio Perez qualified just 1.9 seconds down on the fastest Q1 time and outqualified the Aston Martins by 1.2 seconds. ^[2]

Points frustration fuels development push

A five-second penalty robbed Cadillac of what would have been their solitary point via Perez in Monaco. ^[3] Perez's performance was countered by concerning brake issues for his team mate Valtteri Bottas, which continued at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend and caused him to beach his car during FP3; he later retired from the race due to overheating troubles, leaving Cadillac keen to improve their reliability and start afresh in Austria. ^[1]

What the upgrade comprises

The combination of extreme elevation changes and high track temperatures at the Red Bull Ring will put the aerodynamic upgrades, which include a revised floor and bodywork, to the test. ^[1] The high altitude, heavy braking zones, significant elevation changes and long straights place particular emphasis on power unit performance and reliability, while changeable weather often adds further unpredictability. ^[4] Team Principal Graeme Lowdon confirmed the scope of the work: "We are however pleased to be able to bring another substantial upgrade package this 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."^[1]

Driver reaction

Perez said: "Every race it feels that we're making progress, and there was a lot of valuable learning in getting to the checkered flag in Barcelona. The rate of development is very good, everyone back at the factory is going full speed to deliver new parts to the track, and the upgrade we have this weekend will hopefully provide another step." ^[2] Alongside the technical developments, Cadillac will also debut a refined version of its livery in Austria as the team continues to evolve its visual identity during its first season in Formula 1. ^[4]

:::analysis Introducing simultaneous sidepod and floor changes on the same race weekend is a significant commitment for a team only seven rounds into its debut season. Both components interact closely with the car's ground-effect aerodynamics, so any correlation gap between simulation and real-world behaviour will be exposed quickly at the Red Bull Ring's high-speed sequences. The aggressive development cadence does suggest that the factory's wind-tunnel and CFD data is aligning with on-track results, but the circuit's thermal demands and altitude will provide an exacting first test for the new parts. Austria could also prove a pivotal weekend for team morale: a first points finish remains the obvious near-term target, and a stronger qualifying position would materially assist that goal on a track where overtaking is possible but not straightforward. :::

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