Cadillac endure mixed opening day in Monaco as Pérez shows promise and Bottas searches for balance

Cadillac’s first day of running at the Monaco Grand Prix delivered a blend of promise and frustration. Sergio Pérez impressed early with a strong FP1 performance, but his afternoon was cut short by a brake fire that forced him to stop at Casino Square.

Valtteri Bottas, meanwhile, experienced a more subdued day, struggling to extract confidence and balance from the car on a circuit where precision is everything.

Despite the setbacks, the team completed valuable mileage and gathered data that will be crucial ahead of Saturday’s decisive qualifying session.

Pérez delivered one of the standout midfield performances of the opening session, finishing P14 with a 1:16.170. The Mexican has always been strong around Monaco, and his early pace reflected both confidence and familiarity with the circuit.

Bottas, by contrast, ended FP1 in P21 with a 1:17.460, struggling to find a comfortable balance and fighting the car over bumps and kerbs.

The Finn summarised his difficulties candidly: “Challenging day today. I was struggling quite a bit with the car setup, but that's what practice is for.

"We’ve just got to figure out the true corner balance, we also struggled a little bit with the ride of the car, but now we have the whole overnight.”

He emphasised the importance of simulator feedback and overnight work: “We’ll get the feedback from the simulator, and everyone is going to be working hard tonight to make improvements for tomorrow. Even though it's a tricky day, it's still great to be back on the streets of Monaco.”

The afternoon session brought the day’s biggest setback. Pérez completed a promising early run before smoke began pouring from his rear brakes, forcing him to pull over at Casino Square and triggering a red flag. He finished P18 with a 1:15.116.

Despite the stoppage, Pérez remained upbeat: “It was unfortunate we ended the second session as we did on track, but it’s also about finding the limits for the race on Sunday and it’s important that we got as much running as we did.”

He believes Cadillac are closer to the midfield than the times suggest: “It’s been a strong Friday for us and we were close – a few tenths would have changed our lives completely, so I hope we can find them when they matter.”

Pérez also stressed the unpredictable nature of Monaco: “We are close to the cars in front and where we finish tomorrow will depend on how others perform, but anything can happen around here – we just need to be there when it matters and get the maximum out of the car tomorrow.”

Bottas improved slightly to P21 with a 1:15.759, but remained unable to match Pérez’s pace or confidence.

Team Principal Graeme Lowdon offered a measured assessment of Cadillac’s day, acknowledging both the difficulties and the progress made.

“Monaco is always a challenge, but it also provides opportunities. Our first day of running has allowed us to gather as much information as possible on a track that is very different from any we have been to so far.”

He highlighted the team’s operational focus: “We have focussed on getting ourselves as prepared as possible for the operational challenges of Monaco and, aside from the stoppage on track right at the end of the second session – which we will investigate tonight – we achieved both of these objectives.”