Perez, Bottas Reflect on Cadillac’s 2026 Dutch GP

Key Takeaways

Zandvoort Result: Where Cadillac Finished

Cadillac left the Dutch Grand Prix without points after Sergio Perez finished P15 and Valtteri Bottas failed to reach the chequered flag. The result extends the team’s winless run through its first Formula 1 season, with Fernando Alonso’s P9 for Aston Martin — worth two points — widening the gap between Cadillac and their nearest rivals in the constructors’ standings. Despite the scoreline, both drivers described the weekend as one with real signs of forward movement, particularly on car balance and race pace.

Perez, who has spent the season adapting to a new team after his move from Red Bull, made clear that Zandvoort represented a step in understanding the car rather than a step forward in results. “I was a lot happier with the car,” he said after the race, pointing to changes made to parts and setup across the weekend as the source of the improvement.

Perez’s Race Pace: What Changed at Zandvoort

Sergio Perez said Cadillac’s race pace was “very strong” once he had cleared traffic during the Dutch Grand Prix, despite the conditions differing from what the team expected. “I think we explored a lot the car this weekend and I was certainly a lot happier,” Perez said. “Certainly the conditions were a little bit different but overall, I was quite pleased with where we ended up with the car.”

He was specific about the gap that remains: Cadillac need somewhere between half a second and a full second per lap to mix it with the midfield. That number gives a clear marker for how far the team still has to travel, even after a weekend Perez rated as a genuine maximisation of the car’s current performance. “I feel like today we were able to maximise our performance,” he added, framing Zandvoort as evidence the team is learning to extract what pace is available rather than leaving lap time on the table.

Bottas DNF: A Sixth Retirement in Twelve Races

Valtteri Bottas retired from the Dutch Grand Prix with 11 laps remaining after a hydraulic issue, marking his sixth DNF in 12 races this season. “Had a hydraulic issue, still looking more in detail, but it’s quite a few DNFs in a row which is not ideal,” Bottas said after the race. He described his first stint as “okay” before the car became increasingly inconsistent through the second stint, a pattern he believes may trace back to the earlier onset of the mechanical problem that ultimately ended his race.

The reliability run is a significant concern for a team still building its infrastructure in its debut Formula 1 season. Six retirements from twelve starts is a rate that limits Cadillac’s ability to bank points even when raw pace, as Perez suggested, is closer to competitive than the results show. Bottas remained measured in his response, repeating that the team’s approach is to extract lessons from every setback. “The main thing is we learn again from today,” he said.

Cadillac’s Season So Far: Standings and Progress

Cadillac have yet to score a championship point through 2026, a fact that places them behind Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings after Fernando Alonso’s P9 finish at Zandvoort added two points to the Silverstone-based team’s tally. For a brand-new entrant building a car, a factory and a race team from scratch, the gap to established midfield outfits remains the central storyline of the season.

Both Perez and Bottas have used recent weekends to test parts and setup changes rather than simply chase results, a strategy that reflects the long-term nature of a first F1 season. Perez’s comments about the car’s underlying pace, and Bottas’s insistence on learning from repeated mechanical issues, point to a team treating 2026 as a foundation year. Whether that foundation converts into points before the season ends is the question Cadillac now carries into the remaining rounds.

Helmet and Livery Notes: Display-Worthy Moments from Zandvoort

Even in a season still searching for its first points, Zandvoort produced striking visual moments worth noting for collectors, from the sweep of the dunes circuit to the contrast of Cadillac’s livery against Aston Martin’s green up and down the order. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas each ran their 2026 Cadillac helmet designs throughout the weekend, liveries that continue to draw attention from fans following the team’s first year on the grid regardless of the results column.

For fans building out a collection, race weekends like this one — with cars fighting for track position deep in the field, difficult conditions, and a mechanical retirement in the closing stints — are exactly the kind of moments that give a full-size 1:1 replica helmet its story. A display piece tied to a specific race weekend carries more meaning when the details of that weekend, tyre struggles, setup changes, a hydraulic failure with 11 laps to go, are still fresh.

FAQ

Q: Did Cadillac score points at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix?
No, Cadillac did not score points at Zandvoort. Sergio Perez finished P15 and Valtteri Bottas retired with 11 laps remaining due to a hydraulic issue.

Q: Why did Valtteri Bottas retire from the Dutch Grand Prix?
Valtteri Bottas retired due to a hydraulic issue that developed during the second stint, making it his sixth DNF in 12 races this season.

Q: How much faster does Cadillac need to be to reach the midfield?
Sergio Perez estimated Cadillac need roughly half a second to a second more pace per lap to compete with the midfield teams.

Q: Where do Cadillac stand in the 2026 constructors’ championship?
Cadillac remain without a point this season and fell further behind Aston Martin after Fernando Alonso scored two points with P9 at Zandvoort.

Q: Is this Cadillac’s first season in Formula 1?
Yes, 2026 is Cadillac’s maiden season in Formula 1, and the team is still working through car development and reliability issues.

Browse F1 Helmet Collection

Display and collector replicas only. Not certified for protective use. Full-size 1:1 scale.