2026 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING REPORT
The Cadillac Formula 1® Team will start the Japanese Grand Prix from 19th and 20th positions with Checo Perez and Valtteri Bottas respectively.
The American squad demonstrated a good step forward from the first two races of the year, as both Checo and Valtteri moved up the grid on pace.
The 53-lap race, the third Grand Prix of the 2026 season, starts on Sunday at 14:00hrs local time.
Checo Perez: Qualified: P19 Q1: 1:32.206
“Today’s result and position is positive for the team, but there is still more potential to come from us. We have had some issues with energy deployment. I hope that for tomorrow we can optimize it as there is a lot of time to be gained. Another finish is clearly the aim, and I hope tomorrow we can be in the mix.”
Valtteri Bottas: Qualified: P20 Q1: 1:32.330
“We had a pretty straightforward Qualifying getting the most out of the session. The midfield is still a bit too far away for us, but we have two cars behind us. We've learned a lot already this weekend. Everything is getting more efficient as we continue to take steps forward. The car feels better as we’ve gained a bit of load, but still not enough, so we just need to keep working to bring more upgrades. Tomorrow should be an interesting race with some good battles, so let's see as anything can happen at this stage of the season.”
Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal:
“As a team we have taken a step forward this weekend in both pace and reliability and we can be pleased with that Qualifying result. We were able to execute a very solid day with Valtteri, which allowed us to fully integrate the upgrades we’ve brought to Japan. Checo demonstrated really good pace and we know there is even more to come from the whole package if we can optimize every element. Now we want to convert this potential into pace in the race, and also get two cars to the finish yet again.”