Cadillac’s first F1 car breaks cover at Silverstone shakedown

The Cadillac Formula 1 team has completed a shakedown at Silverstone in what was the first ever laps for its inaugural grand prix car.

The American car giant becomes the 11th team on the grid in 2026, as it hits the track in a Ferrari-powered challenger.

The Cadillac F1 team staged its first test as an outfit late last year at Imola, as Sergio Perez completed two days of running in a black-liveried 2023-spec Ferrari.

The test was aimed to give Perez more miles in a car after sitting out the 2025 season, while also helping the team prepare for its first season.

Cadillac’s inaugural F1 year has now kicked up a gear, after taking part in a shakedown at Silverstone on Friday with test driver Zhou Guanyu.

It marked the first laps of Cadillac’s 2026 car, with the team restricted to 200km of running  - or roughly 34 laps at Silverstone - under shakedown and filming day test rules.

Ahead of the test, Zhou Guanyu said in a brief video on the team’s social media channels: “We are here at Silverstone for the new season shakedown together with the Cadillac F1 team.

“I’m super excited. A shakedown is all about making sure the car is running, and all the engineers are ticking through all the boxes with the gearbox, the engine, and also the set-up work.

“For the driver, it is all about if we’re happy, comfortable with the new seat, the steering wheel, all the feedback, and also all the communications.

“So, looking forward to it and more excitement for the season.”

Cadillac revealed a one-off livery earlier this week that it will use during the five-day Barcelona shakedown test at the end of January.

The new livery is “used while a car is being developed. It helps the team understand aerodynamics, performance, and integration before finalising the design.”

Cadillac’s full-time 2026 livery will be revealed during the Super Bowl in February.

The American outfit is the second F1 team to have put a 2026 challenger on track, following Audi’s running at Barcelona last week.

All teams will likely carry out shakedowns prior to the private Barcelona test at the end of the month.

Ferrari is currently the next team scheduled to hit the track with its 2026 car, as it completes a shakedown at Fiorano on 23 January when it reveals its new livery.