Cadillac target more progress in Barcelona after Monaco Grand Prix near breakthrough

The American team remains in Europe for round seven of its debut Formula 1 campaign and returns to a circuit it already knows, having completed its official pre-season shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in January.

Monaco delivered encouragement despite a post-race penalty denying the team a points finish. Team principal Graeme Lowdon said the performance demonstrated the progress being made by the newest team on the grid.

"The team did an amazing job in Monaco," Lowdon reflected. "It's not an easy race, but the team really pulled together and we finished 10th on the road. Even with the penalty, it's a remarkable result."

"Barcelona is a very different configuration so we need to keep focused on executing well, solving challenges as they come up and getting the basics right. With the solid foundation we continue to build, I am sure we will keep this upward trajectory."

Perez, who has 11 top-10 finishes at the Spanish Grand Prix during his career, said: "The whole team goes to Barcelona extremely motivated. We can be very proud of the Monaco race as we didn't give up."

The Mexican veteran continued:  "Scoring points in only our sixth race would have been a great story, but this is an experience that will shape the team in a very positive way. It has a lot of character, which is what I really love about it."

Perez expects a very different challenge at the Catalan circuit, long regarded as one of Formula 1's most complete tests of car performance, but sees opportunity in Spain: "Barcelona will be very different, much more predictable in a way.

"The objective has to be to have a clean weekend, run reliably and keep that trajectory of moving forward. There's a lot of belief now in the team and we need to keep that spark," insisted Perez.

Team mate Valtteri Bottas also welcomed the quick turnaround between races: "We have a great opportunity to jump right back in the car and push on as a team this weekend in Barcelona, with the aim of getting on top of the issues I faced last race.

"I'm keen to see how much progress we've made together since the Barcelona shakedown, which was the first time I got behind the wheel of the MAC-26," Bottas said.

The Finn, who took pole position at Barcelona in 2019 and has four podium finishes at the circuit, added: "Hopefully we can hit the ground running and build a good rhythm throughout the sessions. I've had positive results on this track throughout my career, so let's see what this weekend has to offer."

Cadillac will also give American driver Colton Herta his first official Formula 1 session with the team when he replaces Perez in Friday's opening practice session.

The 26-year-old, who is competing in Formula 2 this season, said: "I'm excited for Barcelona. I feel ready to get out there. I've had time in the simulator at Charlotte, learning the track and the procedures to follow during the session.

"I've also been working with the team at Silverstone and at the track over the past few races, following how they work so I can get up to speed as quickly as possible."

Herta said his priority would be helping the team's development programme while gaining valuable Formula 1 experience.

"The aim is to have a clean session and help the team gather the data it needs, as well as getting used to the F1 car," he said. "It's going to be a busy weekend as I'm competing in F2 at the same time, but pressure is a privilege so I'm looking forward to it."

For Cadillac, Barcelona offers an early benchmark of how much progress has been made since January and whether the promise shown in Monaco can be converted into a first points finish of the season.