Overview
- Three separate cars experienced on-board fires in the opening five laps of the Austrian Grand Prix, with both Cadillac entries retired and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson reporting fire on team radio while continuing.
- Teams and drivers reported extreme track heat around 34°C, and race radios and reports linked the incidents to overheating brakes and cooling problems rather than a single confirmed cause.
- Cadillac brought a major upgrade package to Austria but qualified at the back and suffered a double DNF after practice showed brake and cooling setbacks, prompting drivers to call for urgent redesigns.
- Race crews changed power-unit operating modes during the event to manage temperatures, reflecting a wider pattern this season of upgrades improving pace but exposing durability problems.
- The incidents will likely prompt technical checks by teams and regulators, cost Cadillac crucial race data and momentum, and put Silverstone and upcoming events into focus for reliability fixes.