Sergio Perez has completed two days of testing for his comeback to the F1 track. The Mexican racer drove Ferrari's 2023 spec F1 car at Imola ahead of Cadillac's F1 debut in the 2026 season. Perez's four-year journey with Red Bull concluded on a challenging note, leading to a mutual agreement to part ways at the end of 2024, despite him still having two years remaining on his contract.
As Cadillac does not yet have its own Formula 1 car, the team has been loaned a chassis by Ferrari. Ferrari will also supply power units to Cadillac F1 at least for the first three seasons. The 35-year-old driver, making his return to the sport, was recently spotted testing a blacked-out Ferrari SF-23 as part of preparations for Cadillac's debut campaign. Wearing an all-black race suit and helmet, the six-time grand prix winner is taking the chance to evaluate his fitness as he prepares for a full-time return to racing.
Perez logged 99 laps during the test, supervised by team principal Graeme Lowdon and manager Peter Crolla. His run was largely error-free, with the only slip being a brief excursion into the gravel at Tamburello. Motorsport Italy reported his quickest lap at 1:18.82, though Lowdon emphasized that Perez was not pushing for outright pace, as Cadillac's priority was on honing its mechanics and overall team operations.
Ahead of his trip to Imola, Perez completed a seat fitting at Ferrari's Maranello base and is scheduled for a second day of running on Friday, 14 November. While the test helps him reacclimatise to Formula 1 machinery, Cadillac's priority lies in strengthening its operational framework.
Sergio Perez (right) with Cadillac F1 co-driver Valtteri Bottas (left)
The two-day program is being treated as a full-scale rehearsal for pre-season testing and the team's race debut, covering every aspect of a grand prix weekend-from pit stop drills and data analysis to communication protocols. Team principal Graeme Lowdon has emphasized that the exercise is more about "testing the people" than the car, as Formula 1's 11th entrant continues preparing for its maiden campaign.