When Cadillac will test own F1 car after Perez drives old Ferrari

Cadillac plan to give their first F1 car a maiden run out prior to the Barcelona pre-season test in January.

The American team are joining the grid next season when new regulations are introduced, and have signed F1 veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their drivers for 2026.

Cadillac aim to complete an initial fire-up before Christmas and want to shakedown their F1 car before the official behind-closed doors pre-season test, which will be held from 26-30 January at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. 

“Everything is on schedule,” Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon told media at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

“In fact, we’ll fire up the engine for the first time in less than 50 days, and the car will run for the first time in January next year. After that, we’ll go testing at the end of January in Barcelona.

“Time is the enemy in a project like this, because we know we’ll be racing in Melbourne the first week of March 2026, and that deadline can’t be extended.

“There’s so much to do. Our entry was only confirmed in March 2025, so the margin is very tight. In that time, we must not only build the car but also manufacture it, design it, hire personnel, build the factories – everything. It’s a real challenge.”

Sergio Perez tests 2023 Ferrari

Perez returned to the wheel of F1 machinery for the first time in nearly a year as part of a two-day test in a 2023-spec Ferrari at Imola.

The outing comes as Cadillac ramp up their preparations for their debut season in F1, while aiding Perez in getting back up to speed.

Cadillac are borrowing a two-year old Ferrari as they do not currently have their own car. They have come to an arrangement with Ferrari, who will initially supply their engines when they enter F1 next year.

Spy shots revealed that Perez was wearing black overalls and a blacked-out helmet in the Ferrari, which ran in all-black livery.

“I think it's great to get the running and also the timing works perfectly because it's just before the January test,” Perez told F1.com.

"On these two days, on the physical side, I want to see how much I've lost, where I need to work on. It will give me a very good guide for the winter, to be able to focus on that stuff.”