The Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s debut season continued Sunday in Barcelona with another lesson in the steep climb required to become competitive at the top level of international motorsports.

Sergio “Checo” Perez brought one of the team’s two cars home in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, finishing 14th overall. It was Cadillac’s best official finishing position so far in its first Formula 1 season, but still outside the points-paying top 10.

Valtteri Bottas, driving the team’s other car, was forced to retire early in the race. Cadillac said Bottas was pulled from the event on Lap 15 as a precaution after what had already been a difficult weekend on his side of the garage.

For Fishers, Cadillac’s progress in Formula 1 has become more than just an international sports story. The team’s North American headquarters is under construction in Fishers, making each race weekend part of a larger local story as the city becomes connected to one of the world’s most watched sports.

Sunday’s race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was not expected to be easy for Cadillac. Barcelona is often viewed as a revealing circuit because its mix of long corners, tire wear and aerodynamic demands can expose a car’s weaknesses. Perez started 19th, Bottas 20th, after both Cadillacs were eliminated in the first round of qualifying Saturday.

The race itself became one of tire strategy and survival. Lewis Hamilton scored his first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari, followed by George Russell and Lando Norris. Perez stayed in the race and reached the finish, while Bottas joined a list of seven retirements that also included Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg and Ollie Bearman.

Cadillac Team Principal Graeme Lowdon said after the race the team knew Barcelona would be a difficult measuring stick for where the new operation stands on pace. Still, he noted Perez continued Cadillac’s record of getting at least one car to the finish in every race so far this season.

Perez said the Barcelona weekend gave the team a clear picture of what needs to improve, especially over longer runs. He said the team has updates planned for the next race in Austria, with more development work expected after that.

The Barcelona weekend also included an American milestone for Cadillac. Colton Herta, the American driver now part of the team’s development program, drove in Friday’s first practice session, completing 27 laps in his first official Formula 1 practice outing with Cadillac.

Cadillac remains without a championship point after seven Grand Prix races, but the team has been open from the start that its first season would be about building a foundation. The operation is competing with Ferrari power units for now, with General Motors planning to produce its own F1 power unit later in the decade.

The next test comes in two weeks at the Austrian Grand Prix, followed one week later by the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. For Fishers, the watch continues as the city’s connection to Formula 1 moves from construction site to race results.