As Cadillac ramps up its preparations for 2026, Sergio Perez will be behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time in almost a year for a two-day test of the Preliminary Car (TPC).
Cadillac does not have its own vehicle for testing, but it has reached an agreement with power unit supplier Ferrari to use the 2023 SF-23. The test will take place at Imola and will give Cadillac the opportunity to not only train its team members on a number of systems, but also run a simulation of a race weekend, and Perez will be driving for Red Bull for the first time since his last outing in December 2024.
“I think it’s great to get going and I think the timing is working perfectly as it’s right before the January test,” Perez told F1’s official website. “I want to see in these two days how much I have lost and what I need to work on physically. It will be a very good guide to help me focus on that for the winter.”
“This is also a chance to start collaborating with the team, engineers and mechanics and start speaking the same language. It’s definitely a great time for us.”
The SF-23 is running in an all-black livery instead of the usual Ferrari red, and as with TPC driving standards, compliance is ensured with the presence of the FIA. Cadillac is focused on training its crews, Perez and Valtteri Bottas, for 2026, and there are limits to the data and telemetry available from the vehicle.
Cadillac test driver Colton Herta also drove in Italy earlier this month, but his testing took place in a previous generation F2 car at Monza ahead of the 2026 entry into the category.
