Valtteri Bottas claims Cadillac facilities surpass Mercedes setup
Valtteri Bottas states that Cadillac's new Silverstone facility offers superior equipment and organization compared to his former Mercedes team. Despite the improved operational progress, the American squad remains last in the 2026 constructors' championship with zero points.
Bottas compares new factory to former team
Valtteri Bottas claims Cadillac’s new facilities are better than the Mercedes set-up he used between 2017 and 2021. The Finn won all 10 of his grand prix victories while driving for the Mercedes squad for five seasons. Cadillac currently sits last in the 2026 constructors’ championship because the team has not scored a point in its first 17 grand prix. The American squad runs its 2026 car from a facility at Silverstone, which is a short distance from the Mercedes factory in Brackley, while it finishes construction of a new US base. Bottas told the Financial Times that the new set-up is superior to his former team’s equipment and organization.
Following a visit to the Silverstone factory last month, Sergio Perez said he has never seen a factory like this in his career because the equipment, the platforms, and the connection between different departments are all brand new. He spoke with the engineers and the people involved in the project and the plans. "It was really nice to see it. We had talks with the engineers, with all the people involved in the project, the plans and stuff. It was nice to catch up with everyone," Perez said. He noted that the organization of the different departments makes the facility feel like a "new home."
Improvement seen despite zero points
Cadillac faces a bruising debut season and a massive learning curve after failing to score a single point in its first 17 grand prix. Bottas said the team is seeing progress in how they operate in different areas even if the results are not there yet. "We are definitely seeing an improvement somewhere every weekend," Bottas told the Financial Times. He explained that when the team has issues in practice or qualifying, they cannot focus on performance or making the car faster.
The Finn wants to get the most out of himself and the people around him to help the team. He is trying to make sure the people around him are getting the most out of themselves and giving everything they have. "In the end, that’s all we can do," Bottas said. He noted that while the results are not there, the progress in how the team operates is clear. The team remains in last place for the 2026 constructors’ championship.
