Cadillac Formula 1 Team makes history as the first American constructor to enter the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in over 30 years.
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Our new crib, an F1-themed football team, and the race that changed everything: Behind the scenes in Barcelona.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has always been a favourite of the engineers. Lots of data. Long corners. The kind of place where setup decisions made in the garage on Friday morning can define Sunday afternoon. This weekend, they defined ours.
From the moment we arrived in the paddock it was clear this felt different. The Cadillac motorhome — still getting its final touches ahead of the season opener — drew eyes. Drivers from other teams slowed down as they walked past. That felt like something.
Perez arrives at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of Thursday media day. Photo: Cadillac F1 Team
Qualifying told the real story. Sector two — the long, sweeping middle section where downforce lives — was where we found the time. The car felt planted through turns five and six in a way it simply hadn't during the pre-season tests. The team knew it. You could feel it in the garage. Nobody said anything, but everyone smiled.
Race day began with overcast skies and a light wind coming off the mountains to the north. Conditions that, in previous seasons, might have caused concern. Not this time. Strategy was locked in the night before. One stop. Push early. Trust the tyres.
On-board: The lap 28 strategy call that changed the race. Photo: Cadillac F1 Team
The lap 28 call was the moment. Data showed the tyre was still in it. Other teams blinked. We stayed out. Three laps later the gap had grown by two seconds. What had been a race for points became something more. A statement.
After the chequered flag, the debriefs started immediately. There's no time to sit with a result in this team. Already the conversation had shifted to Monaco. But walking back through the paddock that evening — under those particular low lights they only seem to have in Barcelona — it was impossible not to feel that something had shifted. Not just in the points table. In how people looked at us.
Post-race celebrations in the Cadillac garage. Photo: Cadillac F1 Team
We're not here to finish races. This weekend was proof we mean it.