Valtteri Bottas brought his MAC-26 into the pit lane after just two laps of the Austrian Grand Prix.
What happened?
The Cadillac F1 team introduced a sizable aerodynamic update package at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The team was wary of the hot temperatures and the punishing nature of the track on brakes and cooling.
Why it matters for Valtteri Bottas
Bottas' early exit marked a third successive failure to finish a grand prix due to reliability problems.
He stated that the priority is now to finish the race at Silverstone.
What comes next?
The team will redesign some parts to prevent similar issues at future races, including the upcoming Budapest event.
Bottas and teammate Sergio Perez both suffered from overheating brakes in the 93-degree heat.
Perez lasted only four laps before his car was terminally wounded.
The team's early exit denied them the opportunity to gather data and learn about the performance of the upgraded car in race conditions.
Bottas added that the increase in temperature and traffic effect caught the car on fire on lap two.
He emphasized the need to find a fix for the issue.
The Austrian Grand Prix took place on a weekend where the team expected to make progress, but instead, they took a step back.
Perez expressed frustration at the lack of progress and expects a massive step forward in reliability at Silverstone.
The team will work hard to address the issues and come back stronger at the next event.
Bottas and the Cadillac F1 team are looking to bounce back from this disappointing weekend.
The Austrian Grand Prix was a tough test for the team, but they will use this experience to improve and move forward.