Valtteri Bottas found himself on the receiving end of an unusual penalty at the Miami Grand Prix, and it's become the latest example of the growing pains facing Formula 1's newest team. While Cadillac continues to navigate its early-season challenges, there's plenty of reason for optimism after its first major upgrade package delivered promising results on home turf.

The American outfit arrived in Miami with an ambitious set of updates—headlined by an improved front wing and a reprofiled floor—after kicking off its F1 journey with a relatively basic launch car. The early returns were encouraging: Cadillac managed to close the gap to the packed midfield and even race Aston Martin on pure pace. But as with any new team finding its footing, progress hasn't come without its hiccups.

Bottas's drive-through penalty in the grand prix was a prime example. The Finn explained that the issue stemmed from the tactility of his steering wheel buttons—specifically, the pit limiter. "I pressed the pit limiter button, but apparently not hard enough," he reported. "We're still lacking a bit of feedback on some of the buttons, so another error we're still working on." Cadillac doesn't manufacture its own steering wheels and is awaiting an updated product from its supplier, with Bottas hoping for a fix by the next race.

While Bottas confirmed that "the upgrades worked," he acknowledged that the team is still grappling with quality inconsistencies in some of its parts. "Not every part is the same that we put in the car, so there's a bit of a lack of consistency in there," he said. "But overall, it's getting better."

Team principal Graeme Lowdon echoed that sentiment, noting that these teething issues are par for the course when starting from scratch. For Cadillac, the Miami weekend was a mixed bag—solid progress on performance, but a reminder that the devil is in the details. As the team continues to refine its processes and components, fans can expect more steps forward in the races ahead.