Nov.13 (GMM) Cadillac has quietly made an appearance on a Formula 1 track – not with its own car, but with a black, de-badged 2023 Ferrari at Imola driven by Sergio Perez.
The two-day test, organised with Ferrari’s support, was designed to train Cadillac’s brand-new pit crew ahead of the American marque’s full F1 debut in 2026.
“We are not testing the car, but our people,” team principal Graeme Lowdon told f1-insider.com. “We want our team to have the same experiences as those who stand in the Formula 1 pitlane every day.”
Ferrari supplied the SF-23 chassis along with personnel and facilities. Arthur Leclerc shook down the car at Fiorano before it was shipped to Imola, where about 30 Ferrari and 20 Cadillac staff worked together in the adjacent pit boxes.
Perez, signed to Cadillac through 2027 at least, completed the program smoothly. Teammate Valtteri Bottas, however, was barred from taking part due to his ongoing Mercedes reserve-driver contract, which expires only at the end of 2025.
The Finn is instead in South Australia, where he and partner Tiffany Cromwell have purchased a 15-acre vineyard property. Speaking to local broadcaster Nine, Bottas backed Oscar Piastri to recover from his title slump.
“He’s still got all the chances,” he said. “There’s not many events left, but it only needs one bad race for one driver and he’s back up there.
“He’s still so early in his career – he’s got a great career ahead of him, no matter what happens this year.”
As for Cadillac, Bottas said his new team’s build-up is on schedule.
“It’s a completely new project – like a new team joining F1, there’s so much work to do,” he explained. “The summer in Australia is going to be quite short for me because I’m going to start working in January with the new team.
“We should have a car in January.”
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