F1 ‘whispers’ about Cadillac suggest they were ‘struggling’ with one aspect of their first 2026 test

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The Cadillac Formula 1 team have already managed to get their car on track ahead of the first test of the 2026 season.

Any eagle-eyed fans hanging around Silverstone last week would have seen Sergio Perez take to the track in Cadillac’s first-ever outing.

The shakedown is one of the final steps that Graeme Lowdon’s team needed to complete before the opening race of the season.

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Valtteri Bottas joined the Cadillac effort later than Perez due to his Mercedes commitments, but he will be desperate to get behind the wheel of the Ferrari-powered machine as quickly as possible.

However, rumours are already emerging about how successful Cadillac’s first run was, and journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm has shared more details about the work that took place at the home of the British Grand Prix.

Ferrari were pleased with the data they received from Cadillac about their power unit, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

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

Cadillac ‘whispers’ suggest they failed to complete 200 km filming day run at Silverstone

Mitchell-Malm was asked about the Silverstone shakedown on The Race Podcast, and he said: “Graeme’s really upfront about everything and had a very clear idea of what he wanted to do in terms of just being as pragmatic as possible with it.

“And he told me at the start of December, everything is on schedule. They’re still planning on doing the pre-Barcelona shakedown and then that test too.

“But there’s always an element where you’re like, that’s great, but like what’s on schedule? How close is it going to be? How difficult is it going to be?

“I wasn’t surprised to hear some whispers that they were struggling to get the car on track for the shakedown. The moment where everything comes together is always pretty last-minute anyway.

“So that’s just a tricky challenge to navigate, and also I wasn’t surprised to then hear that it maybe wasn’t on track a huge amount as well.

“But it did run. It ran enough for them to be confident and happy to tell the world that it ran, to show photos of it and videos of it.

“And so the number one thing beyond the technical stuff really is that it’s ticked off a really important box.”

READ MORE: Cadillac team principal was absolutely spot on about 2026 development after Silverstone shakedown

Cadillac already creating rivalry with rival F1 team before 2026 debut

The Formula 1 grid has been relatively harmonious in recent years, with only the occasional spat between Max Verstappen and George Russell making headlines.

However, that might all be about to change now that Cadillac have turned up in the paddock.

The General Motors-backed team aren’t the only American outfit coming into F1 this year, as Ford will be working alongside Red Bull on their power units.

Ford’s CEO has taken a dig at Cadillac heading into this season, after Lowdon’s team suggested that they were only partnering with Red Bull for marketing reasons.

It’s another level of excitement that fans can get behind, and it starts to lean into the Drive to Survive element of the sport.

Cadillac won’t want to be too brash in their claims, though, with many predicting Perez and Bottas to be at the back of the grid in 2026.