Cadillac F1 brings upgrades to Canadian GP

Cadillac Formula 1 arrived in Montreal with another new package on its car after using the Miami Grand Prix to introduce the first major upgrades of its debut season. The team said on May 19 that it was heading to the Canadian Grand Prix, its second straight North American stop and third sprint weekend of 2026. Cadillac’s first home race in Miami ended with a double finish for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, which the team presented as a clean baseline before the next round of development. Motorsport.com reported the MAC-26 would receive a further update in Canada after the Miami package changed several key areas of the car. ### What exactly changed before Canada? The MAC-26 had already received an updated front wing, floor, diffuser and rear suspension in Miami, according to Motorsport.com. RACER reported before that event that Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon described the first package as “fairly substantial,” with changes spread across the floor, front wing, brake drums and other areas, combining aerodynamic gains with some weight-saving. (cadillacf1team.com) Montreal brought another step rather than a reset. Motorsport.com said Cadillac revealed a new package for the Canadian Grand Prix, while Las Motorsport described it as a fresh stream of aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades after the Miami debut. Cadillac’s own team site listed Canada as the next race stop but did not publish technical detail in the news index excerpt available online. (motorsport.com) ### Why does Miami matter so much to this update cycle? Miami was Cadillac’s first home race and the first weekend in which its opening development package ran in competition. Cadillac said in its May 3 race report that Perez finished 16th and Bottas 18th, giving the team a double-car finish. The team’s news page also shows it completed the sprint race and qualifying sessions across that weekend, following sprint qualifying on May 1 and sprint race running on May 2. (motorsport.com) Graeme Lowdon said before Miami that the team would be “watching the performance of the upgrade with great interest” because so much still needed to be verified on a brand-new operation. He also said the timing mattered because Cadillac was only at its fourth grand prix when it first brought a sizeable package, compared with rivals that had years of manufacturing and trackside processes already in place. (cadillacf1team.com) ### What does this say about Cadillac’s position in its first season? Cadillac entered Formula 1 in 2026 as the sport’s 11th team, with Perez and Bottas as its race drivers and Graeme Lowdon as team principal, Formula 1’s team profile says. Formula1.com said last month the American squad had exceeded expectations in some areas early in the year, while also noting the limits of a new entrant working with much less data than established rivals. (racer.com) RACER reported before Miami that Cadillac and Aston Martin had been running at the back early in the season, and that Lowdon’s target was to reduce the gap to the midfield. That made Miami the first real test of whether the team could accelerate its learning curve through development rather than only race execution. ### What should readers watch in Montreal? (formula1.com) The Canadian Grand Prix runs May 22-24 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Formula 1 said. Friday includes first practice at 12:30 local time and sprint qualifying at 16:30, Saturday features the sprint and main qualifying, and the 70-lap grand prix starts Sunday at 16:00 local time. Cadillac’s two cars will give the clearest read yet on whether the Miami changes and the follow-up Canada package have narrowed the gap. (racer.com) (formula1.com)