Why Cadillac Is Bringing a 'Big Package' to the Austrian GP and What It Reveals About the Team's Toughest Problem

After seven rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Cadillac is the only constructor yet to score a point. The American outfit sits 11th and last in the constructors' championship with zero points . Its best race finish so far is 13th . But the team isn't standing still. At Round 8 in Austria, Cadillac will introduce an extensive set of upgrades — a "big package" of aerodynamic-focused changes that Sergio Pérez hopes will finally lift the team into midfield contention .

The Primary Weakness: A 'Massive Cliff' After 15 Laps

Pérez has been blunt about the single factor holding the MAC-26 back. In his own words: "Whenever we have a stint longer than 15 laps, we seem to struggle a lot with a massive cliff" . Tyre degradation has been a recurring theme all season, flagged previously by both Pérez and teammate Valtteri Bottas .

Bottas echoed the concern after Miami: "Qualifying went great on the fresh tyres. But as soon as they degraded, our pace was pretty poor" . The issue is clear: the car falls off a performance cliff around the 15-lap mark, bleeding grip and pace in a way the team's rivals can avoid. Pérez has said the team understands the source of the problem and has ideas on how to fix it, but warned it "will just take a few races from now" .

The Austrian GP Upgrade: Aero Focus and a New Floor

Cadillac's upgrade plan for the Red Bull Ring centres on the car's aerodynamics. According to Infobae's report on the team's technical evolution, the package includes a new floor for the monoplaza, considered a priority to improve aerodynamic load and stability in high-speed corners — one of the weak points exposed in Barcelona . The front-corner leading-edge lip has been updated to increase aerodynamic loading, with revisions to internal ducts and exit geometry for brake cooling. A lower edge trim has been added to the diffuser winglet cascade to increase local rear aerodynamic load .

Pérez described the incoming parts as a "big package" aimed at closing the gap to the midfield group . The hope is that the combination of aero improvements and a potential boost from Cadillac's Ferrari power unit — Ferrari is introducing a minor 5 bhp power unit upgrade under the first ADUO window in Austria — can deliver a step forward.

The Development Plan: Waypoint at Austria, More at Silverstone

The Austrian GP package is explicitly described as a waypoint, not a fix . Sources indicate it is one step in a planned development cadence, with further updates targeted around the British Grand Prix at Silverstone . Cadillac has been upgrading the car at nearly every race — Miami, Canada, and now Austria — as part of an aggressive, continuous development push . The team had planned to bring upgrades to almost every race from the start of the season, with Bottas revealing that strategy as early as March .

Pérez has set a personal target of scoring points by the summer break . Whether the Austria package brings the step needed to achieve that goal will become clear on track at the Red Bull Ring.

Team's Current Standing: 11th and the Only Constructor Without a Point

After seven races, the constructors' standings paint a stark picture:

Position	Team	Points
9th	Audi	2
10th	Aston Martin	1
11th	Cadillac	0

Cadillac is the only team yet to score a point in 2026. With the midfield pack pulling away, the pressure is on to make the Austrian GP upgrades count — and to prove that the "massive cliff" can be levelled out before the season slips away.