The Cadillac Formula 1 Team today made history by finishing its debut Grand Prix in Australia. Checo Perez brought the MAC-26 car past the checkered flag in 16th, sealing a first finish for the American squad. Valtteri Bottas put in a strong effort but retired on lap 16 with a mechanical issue.

This positive start will push the team forward to race next week at the next round of the championship in Shanghai, China.

Checo Perez: "Our first race as a team is done. Completing the race is incredible and a real achievement just one year after the entry was confirmed. Now this is over, we need to move on to adding performance so we can really race hard. We're feeling competitive within the team, and that's the attitude we need from now on to be able to close the gap and aim for something big."

Valtteri Bottas: "We made history as a team today. Our first-ever Grand Prix weekend, and we're here, we're racing, and that's a proud moment for everyone. It's a shame that the race was cut short for me due to a fuel system problem, but we learned a lot. The team did a great job to finish the race with Checo's car. There's still a lot of positives to take from this weekend, and it's only the very start of this journey together. I enjoyed the process and can't wait to get to China and try again."

Dan Towriss, CEO, Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings: "Today was a good first step for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. Everything builds off a foundation, and we can progress from what we have here. I'm very proud of this team and the dedication, effort, and hard work put forward by every single person. Moments like this don't happen every day, and as we look forward to our next race, we'll continue to progress together and push forward. Even this early on, we're hungry for more."

Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal: "I'm really happy with the performance of the team. We had some issues with Valtteri's car, which was a real shame. It was great to see the Cadillac Formula 1 Team bring its first car home. We're up against incredible competition, who we have huge respect for, but I've got enormous belief in the team that we're building here. This is a really good start to our journey. I want to say a special thanks to everybody in the team - in Indianapolis, in Charlotte, in Silverstone and in Germany with the wind tunnel. Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has allowed us to build what I truly believe is going to be a very special race team."

Check out our Sunday gallery from Melbourne here.