Cadillac is improving, but its first point remains distant

Cadillac found an encouraging signal at Zandvoort, not yet a breakthrough. Sergio Perez finished 15th but said changes to parts and set-up had produced a more consistent car and strong pace in clean air. His own assessment remained severe: the team is still between half a second and one second short of fighting regularly in the midfield.

The standings underline the gap. Cadillac has yet to score after 12 rounds of its debut season, while nearest rival Aston Martin moved further ahead through Fernando Alonso’s ninth place. Reliability compounds the problem: Valtteri Bottas retired with 11 laps remaining because of a hydraulic issue, his sixth DNF of the year.

Zandvoort therefore offered a set-up direction rather than proof of a step in performance. Monza must show whether the gain carries over to a low-downforce configuration and, above all, whether both cars can convert their pace into a complete weekend.