It’s all come down to this. Following a year of nervous build-up, countless all-nighters and herculean effort, Cadillac Formula 1® Team is finally primed for the racetrack. What Makes Fast episode eight follows the team in the run-up to – and through the completion of – its very first on-track shakedown at England’s historic Silverstone Circuit, where in 1950, the Formula 1® championship began.
Perhaps it’s fitting then, for the team to begin its journey at Silverstone, setting it off at speed toward its first race in Melbourne, Australia. For the Cadillac Formula 1® Team, this car’s development has been a sprint from the beginning.
“You can never start too early, and you’ll always need more time,” a Cadillac Formula 1® Team member jokes when the first test day finally arrives. The comment underscores the nervous, excited energy coursing through the air as the team hustles to cross out every last pre-shakedown task, from final seat fittings for the drivers to tracking down a few pesky missing components.
From loading the car for transport to the track (surprisingly perilous), to simply getting the car out on to pit lane (surprisingly nerve-wracking), this episode celebrates a milestone that marks both the culmination of a grand dream and the beginning of an amazing journey.
But as with any shakedown, the test day was not without drama.
Ahead of the event, a set of missing parts raises pulses in the team garage, necessitating a quick fix; But like any other solution on a Formula 1® race grid, the team’s fix is speedy, tidy, and totally brilliant. Who knew a 3-D printer the size of an arcade cabinet fit in the back of the race trailer?
With that fresh part still hot off the printer, the car is carefully assembled as the window for testing officially opens. Typical English weather and a thorough assembly process begin a race against the clock that goes down to the wire.
Can the car make it on track in time?
The car roars to life with its answer, screaming on to the track for the first time. And when it returns to the garage, the echo of its mighty engine fades, leaving only cries of joy and relief to fill the silence as the Cadillac Formula 1® Team concludes this first chapter of an epic journey.