Cadillac narrowly misses out on first F1 point: now an unexpected 'problem' looms
· Yahoo Sports
Cadillac almost scored its first point in Monaco. Despite the disappointment of Sergio Perez’s late penalty, the new team proved it’s not just making up the numbers. Now team principal Graeme Lowdon warns of a luxury problem: "You can get into that territory where the expectations are just too high.”
If Perez hadn’t been a few centimeters out of position in his grid box at the restart of the Monaco Grand Prix, Cadillac would have scored its first Formula 1 point in only its sixth Grand Prix. Of course, ‘if’ doesn’t count in sport. Still, it was a sign of things to come, as the new American outfit has rapidly adapted to the high standards Formula 1 demands to be competitive.
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There’s a palpable sense of pride within Cadillac because, although some people feared this, the team has made a positive impression this early on. Doubters have surely been convinced by the first outings that Cadillac both wants to and can perform.
Cadillac is building the F1 dream on multiple fronts
The brand-new hospitality is a prime example of this, as are the modern facilities—still partially under construction—in Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Silverstone. “All of these projects are huge projects on their own, as well as building a Formula 1 team and operating it at the same time," team principal Lowdon tells, among others, GPblog.
“The two are really different. The challenge of being on the grid in Melbourne is quite different from racing week to week in Europe, when you're in back-to-back races. So, I'd love to take all the credit for it, but the reality is we got some very good and really committed people together. And I think we've just done a great job making sure that we turn up."
Perez’s nearly scoring the team's first point in Monaco will undoubtedly raise expectations for the period ahead. Lowdon nods in agreement and says: “It also means that we're held to the same high standards as every other team almost instantly as well. Like most things in life, it's always a double-edged sword.
Graeme Lowdon (right) - Photo: RacePicturesGraeme Lowdon (right) - Photo: RacePictures
"You turn up looking the part, then people expect you to be at that level as well. I think it is quite good to remind people every so often that it's a pretty difficult game. It's so competitive. It's like really, really the most difficult team game in the world. So, yes, doing all these things and having to compete, it is quite a challenge for sure."
Expectations too high at Cadillac?
GPblog then asks Lowdon whether expectations might become too high. “Yes, that's right. But you have to welcome it. It's a better class of a problem, isn't it?” the British team boss replies. “And I know I keep saying it, but some of the other teams, they keep reminding us just how many races they've done. So, depending upon how you count it, McLaren have done 1,000. That's a lot.
“When you do that many Grand Prix, it's not the core side of things that benefits from that built of experience, it's all the tiny things, it's all the little bits. If you've done a 1,00 Grands Prix, all those little bits that are just there, they’ll become second nature routine.”
Lowdon indicates that it’s extremely difficult for a new team to set concrete goals. With steady updates, Cadillac hopes to move forward bit by bit, but the Americans are also dependent on what the rest do. So it’s not a given that Cadillac will suddenly be running in the midfield within a few weeks, even though performances like Monaco do hint in that direction.
“You can get into that territory where the expectations are just too high,” Lowdon believes. “But I think the way around that, we have huge respect for all the teams that we compete against and I think making sure that everyone really understands just how competitive this game is is really important and then we make steps forward it's a good thing.”