‘This is going to be the real test’ – Bottas outlines expectations for Cadillac's Austria upgrades

Valtteri Bottas expects that Cadillac’s latest upgrade package will be put to the test in Austria’s high temperatures, with the Finn eager to move on from his string of retirements and take a step towards the midfield.

While the American outfit remain the only team on the grid without a point on the board after Sergio Perez’s P10 in Monaco was lost following a post-race penalty, they are targeting improvements by introducing “substantial” updates to the car at the Red Bull Ring.

They are hopeful these will aid their performance at the challenging circuit and help reduce the deficit to rivals like Aston Martin and Audi, but after a pair of DNFs in Monaco and Barcelona – caused by brake problems and overheating respectively – Bottas is more focused on the simpler goal of reaching the chequered flag.

Speaking ahead of the race weekend, he said: “We've got some new upgrades, sidepods, bodywork, new floor, which should be in theory quite a good step forward but on top of that we've been working on the reliability issues we've had in the last two races and I think that's still the priority as I haven't finished the last two events.”

Their prior struggles with cooling the car could be relevant again as the FIA confirmed there is a heat hazard in place for the Austrian Grand Prix, which primarily focuses on ensuring the drivers are safe by offering an additional cooling system.

Asked about his concerns around keeping the car on track in the warm conditions, Bottas added: “We've got a new bodywork here which gives us more opportunity for the cooling of the engine so I'm less worried about that. I think the big test here is the brakes.

“We've had issues in the last events with overheating so we've made some changes. We have more cooling options for the brakes but this is going to be the real test. If we can survive here, I think it means we can survive anywhere on this calendar.”

While Bottas has been unable to finish the last two races, his team mate Perez achieved a season-best result of P14 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, albeit three laps down on the leaders as Cadillac suffered with tyre management.

“We definitely want to make good progress,” the Mexican driver said. “We can see that we are getting closer to the midfield, especially over a lap. I think still we are lacking a bit on the regulation side with the tyres.

“We are bringing an upgrade here that hopefully can get us even closer. Once we are there, it all comes down to the little details. I think operationally the team has been improving quite a lot, making really big steps so far, so hopefully this upgrade can put us a lot closer.”