Cadillac believes there is still performance to unlock from its Ferrari power unit as it searches for a way out of a difficult start to its first Formula 1 season. New team principal Marcin Budkowski has identified energy management and a deeper understanding of Ferrari’s engine package as areas the American team must examine if it is to make better use of the hardware already available.
The General Motors-backed operation has yet to score after the opening 11 races of 2026, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas both remaining on zero in the Formula 1 driver standings. Aston Martin’s improvements at the Hungarian Grand Prix also added to Cadillac’s problems by moving another rival ahead in the competitive order before the summer break.
Cadillac targets untapped Ferrari power unit performance
Cadillac’s attention is now turning towards how effectively it is using the Ferrari power unit rather than simply the specification of the hardware itself. Budkowski, who replaced Graeme Lowdon as Cadillac team principal, explained that customer teams receive the same engine hardware from their supplier under the regulations.
However, he stressed that identical hardware does not necessarily translate into identical performance. Budkowski pointed to what has been seen with Mercedes-powered teams during the 2026 season as an example of how significant differences can emerge through the understanding and management of increasingly complex power units.
Energy management is particularly important in that process. Budkowski indicated that the way teams control and deploy the available energy can create a meaningful performance difference even between cars using the same basic power-unit specification.
Energy management becomes a key Cadillac priority
The immediate question for Cadillac is therefore whether the team is extracting everything available from Ferrari’s equipment. Budkowski explained that this is something the organisation must investigate internally, with the objective of establishing whether its current systems and operating methods are allowing it to maximise the hardware supplied by Maranello.
That distinction is important for a new Formula 1 team. Simply having access to a competitive engine does not automatically guarantee the same level of performance as the manufacturer itself, particularly when software, deployment strategies and an understanding of complex energy systems all influence how effectively the package performs on track.
Ferrari’s own power-unit programme is also continuing to evolve during the season. The Italian manufacturer has further development available through the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, with a major Ferrari engine upgrade planned for Monza. Budkowski believes the unit is already competitive and expects the ADUO developments to make it stronger, increasing the importance of Cadillac understanding how to exploit everything available to it.
Ferrari technical know-how will not all reach Cadillac
Cadillac’s relationship with Ferrari remains central to its short-term Formula 1 project. The American manufacturer ultimately intends to operate as a genuine factory team with its own power unit, but its agreement with Ferrari is set to continue until at least 2028.
Budkowski acknowledged that this arrangement inevitably has limits. Although Ferrari provides its customer with the required hardware, he explained that a supplier cannot be expected to disclose every detail of the knowledge it has developed around extracting maximum performance from its own power unit.
The new Cadillac team principal did not portray that as a criticism of Ferrari. Instead, he regarded the protection of certain technical methods and trade secrets as a normal part of Formula 1 competition, applying the same principle to manufacturers elsewhere on the grid. Cadillac’s task is therefore to improve its own understanding rather than expect Ferrari to provide every element of its internal expertise.
Cadillac wants to turn Ferrari knowledge into on-track progress
The focus on power-unit optimisation forms part of a wider effort to improve Cadillac’s competitiveness after a challenging opening half of the campaign. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have been unable to score so far, leaving the team searching for performance gains across several areas as its first Formula 1 season develops.
Budkowski officially assumes control from the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the first race after the summer break. His initial challenge will be to identify where Cadillac can make the quickest and most effective improvements while beginning the longer process of moving the team away from the rear of the grid.
Understanding the Ferrari power unit more completely is now one of those priorities. With the engine itself viewed as competitive and further development expected, Cadillac believes there may be performance available without changing the fundamental hardware. The task for Budkowski and his technical organisation is to determine how much of that potential the team is currently leaving unused as the 2026 Formula 1 season resumes.
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