Cadillac had Ferrari teach them two key things about F1 before Sergio Perez’s Imola test

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Cadillac have completed their first circuit outing as an F1 team ahead of their debut in 2026, after Sergio Perez drove a 2023 Ferrari SF-23 in a private test session at Imola.

The General Motors brand took advantage of their early ties to the Scuderia to loan an SF-23 for a one-day test at the now-former home of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Imola will not host a race on the 2026 F1 calendar, as the track’s contract expired following the 2025 meet.

Imola gave Cadillac their first taste of life as an F1 team this Thursday, though, as Perez took the wheel of a Ferrari SF-23 for 99 laps of the iconic track. Ferrari agreed to loan Cadillac a car as part of the team’s deal to run the Scuderia’s engines and gearboxes in their first term.

Cadillac will make their full F1 debut with drivers Perez and Valtteri Bottas next March at the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The American team will also join the F1 field for the first time in January at the first pre-season test under F1’s 2026 regulations in Barcelona.

Ferrari taught Cadillac about F1 pit stops and tyre preparation during their Imola test

Perez set a fastest lap time of a 1:18.82 during Cadillac’s test with the Ferrari SF-23 at Imola on Thursday. But fast lap times were not the General Motors team’s priority, as they sought to further their understanding of Formula 1 protocols ahead of joining the grid next season.

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

That is according to Formula1.it, which reports that Cadillac used their test at Imola to have Ferrari teach them a few aspects about how to run an F1 race weekend. A group of Scuderia engineers were also present at Imola to pass their methods on to their new customer team.

Cadillac utilised Ferrari also holding a preliminary test with Arthur Leclerc on Wednesday to shake down the SF-23 to watch how the Scuderia carry out various pit stop procedures. The test also let Cadillac learn tyre preparation techniques as they are the new team on the grid.

Cadillac will be the smallest team on the 2026 F1 grid in terms of personnel

The Cadillac F1 team are an entirely new operation, built from the foundations that Andretti initially established while trying to secure a spot on the grid. General Motors took over what Andretti had built after F1 agreed to allow an 11th team if Cadillac operate as a works entry.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

General Motors will develop a factory F1 engine for Cadillac to run, but it is unlikely to arrive before the 2029 season. Cadillac will continue to buy engines from Ferrari until their factory GM power unit is ready, which opened the door for the test using the Scuderia’s 2023 SF-23.

Cadillac also needed to use the test to learn how to operate on an F1 weekend from Ferrari, as they are still finding their feet ahead of debuting next year. While F1’s biggest teams have more than 1,000 members of staff, Cadillac have grown from just 159, to 209 and, now, 426.

By far, Cadillac will be the smallest team on the 2026 F1 grid in terms of personnel. So, while Bottas and Perez hand Cadillac vast F1 experience from their 247 and 285 Grand Prix entries each, they lack in many areas whilst Cadillac try to hire more F1 personnel from rival teams.