Cadillac details MAC-26 upgrade for Canada

Cadillac said on May 19 that it will bring a further upgrade package for its MAC-26 to this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, extending the aggressive development plan it began earlier this month in Miami. The team said the new parts follow its first major upgrade package of the season, which it introduced at its home race and credited with improving aerodynamic load and overall performance. (motorsport.com) Motorsport.com first reported the Canada package on Tuesday. (cadillacf1team.com) Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve presents a different test from Miami. Cadillac said the 4.361-kilometer, 14-turn track combines low-speed corners, high-speed straights and steep curbs, with a Sprint format that reduces setup time and raises the cost of mistakes. (cadillacf1team.com) ### Which parts is Cadillac actually changing in Canada? Cadillac said the Canada package includes new front brake drums, diffuser trim and winglets, and front torsion bars. The team said those changes are intended to improve the car’s ability to ride steep curbs, a specific demand of the Montreal circuit. Motorsport.com said the MAC-26 had already received an updated front wing, floor, diffuser and rear suspension in Miami. (motorsport.com) That means the Canada package is a follow-on step rather than a reset, adding circuit-specific parts after the broader aerodynamic update introduced three weeks earlier. ### What did Miami tell Cadillac before this next step? (cadillacf1team.com) Miami gave Cadillac two things it had been seeking in its first Formula 1 season: reliability and evidence that new parts were working. The team said both cars finished the 19-lap Sprint and the 57-lap Grand Prix there, while Lowdon said the first major upgrade package produced a “notable increase in performance.” (cadillacf1team.com) Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac’s team principal, said the operation also executed two pit stops that ranked among the 10 fastest of the weekend. He said the target in Montreal is to “build on that momentum” at a circuit that differs sharply from Miami. (motorsport.com) ### How hard is Cadillac pushing development in its debut season? Valtteri Bottas said in March that Cadillac expected to update its car at each of the next few grands prix, part of what Motorsport.com described as an aggressive development program for the MAC-26. Sergio Perez said at the time he hoped the push would help the team reach the points by the summer break. (cadillacf1team.com) Crash.net, citing Perez after Miami, reported that Cadillac was in a “massive hurry to find performance” because Aston Martin was expected to keep improving. That assessment was attributed to Perez, who said the team needed to refine the package it already had and extract more from it. (cadillacf1team.com) ### Why does Montreal suit a reliability-and-setup story? Montreal’s layout puts stress on braking, traction and curb riding. Cadillac said the close walls and Sprint schedule mean the team will have to get up to speed quickly, while Bottas called the circuit “very technical.” Perez said Miami showed Cadillac could deliver major upgrades “on track,” and that the next job was to put all of the gains together at the same time. (motorsport.com) ### What should readers watch this weekend? The Canadian Grand Prix runs May 22-24 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, and Cadillac said it will be the team’s third Sprint weekend of the season. Perez and Bottas will be the first to show whether the new brake, diffuser and suspension-related parts translate into another step after Miami’s broader MAC-26 upgrade. (crash.net) (cadillacf1team.com)