...how are Cadillac’s chances for the year?
After several unsuccessful attempts by other parties to join the grid, Cadillac enters the sport this year as Formula One’s 11th team. A well funded, established name, many are expecting the team to do well in their debut year. However, despite regulations designed to even out the playing field and make it easier for less established teams to compete, new teams do not have a very good track record. The last surge in teams occurred in 2010, when 3 new manufacturers joined the grid under the promise of a cost-cap which the established powers shot down before the season started. None remain on the grid today. Haas, who joined in 2016, have managed to survive, but languished in the midfield for years with a lack of funding and dodgy sponsors before securing a technical partnership with Toyota’s racing division for this year. With this in mind, how are Cadillac’s chances for the year?
Expectations are relatively high for a new team, with seasoned veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas at the helm as well as significant backing from America’s largest car manufacturer. A new set of regulations is expected to shake up the established order on the grid, which could see smaller teams take advantage of a rule set that has not yet been squeezed of all possible performance. This could provide an opportunity for Cadillac, with their significant backing, to leapfrog the other teams at the rear end of the grid and establish themselves early on. However, a few early signs from testing have begun to cast doubt. Firstly, Mercedes’ controversial engine loophole trick, which allows them to run at a higher compression ratio than under testing conditions, is expected to carry a significant performance advantage. Not only is this a problem for Mercedes and McLaren’s rivals at the sharp end of the grid, but former titans Williams are also Mercedes customers, giving them a major leg up over the lower midfield as they seek to return to the top. Audi are also expected to hit the ground running, who took over operations at Sauber during an extended buyout which was completed at the end of last year. Unlike Cadillac, Audi have engine independence, which could backfire if it performs poorly but has the potential for a major advantage compared to customer teams (Cadillac is receiving engines from Ferrari).
When points are on the line, we will get the first indication of how Cadillac’s season might look.
Despite early signs, however, every prediction must be prefixed with “could, “maybe” or “potentially”. Until the cars are out on track in Australia, any discussion of the team’s performance is just speculation, as teams will frequently hide their car’s true performance on track for as long as they can. When points are on the line, we will get the first indication of how Cadillac’s season might look.