Cadillac Shakes Down 2026 F1 Car at Silverstone with Perez

Cadillac officially turned a wheel in Formula 1 for the first time, conducting a shakedown at Silverstone with Sergio Perez driving the 2026 challenger. The American team, set to join the grid in 2026, utilized a filming day to run its car powered by a Ferrari engine alongside teammates Valtteri Bottas and reserve driver Zhou Guanyu.

Why it matters:

This milestone confirms Cadillac is on schedule for its debut as the 11th team. With a proven driver lineup and a Ferrari power unit, the shakedown demonstrates the project's transition from administrative hurdles to actual on-track performance, raising expectations for their competitive level against established giants.

The details:

• Track Action: Sergio Perez was the primary driver behind the wheel during the Silverstone filming day. The Mexican driver visited the team base earlier in the week for technical briefings before completing the running and returning to Mexico for commercial commitments.
• Power Unit Sound: The session provided the first public auditory evidence of the Cadillac-Ferrari partnership. Footage shared by the team offered a preview of the engine note, which will be a crucial component of the team's performance package.
• Secrecy Mode: Security was extremely tight ahead of the official livery reveal scheduled for next month's Super Bowl. Team members reportedly placed stickers over phone cameras to prevent leaks, though some long-distance garage images inevitably surfaced on social media.
• Technical Hurdles: The team faced early morning difficulties getting the car running and had to contend with challenging Silverstone weather. Despite this, the car completed laps under filming day regulations, which limit teams to 200km on specific Pirelli demo tires distinct from race rubber.
• New Entrant Context: Cadillac follows Audi, who recently completed a similar shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, signaling that both new manufacturers are ramping up their operations ahead of the new regulations.

What's next:

The full visual reveal of the car is set for the Super Bowl next month, building hype before the pre-season tests in Bahrain. With both Cadillac and Audi now active on track, the 2026 grid expansion is becoming a tangible reality.