The new Cadillac F1 team has reached a ‘historic milestone’, as the car made its track debut at Silverstone.
The 11th and newest team on the grid ran a shakedown on Friday night (AEDT) at the central England venue which hosts the British Grand Prix.
The car was driven by Sergio Perez, who will return to the F1 grid after a year on the sidelines having been ousted by Red Bull at the end of 2024.
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Sergio Perez on track in the new Cadillac F1 car in a shakedown at Silverstone. Cadillac
“Today was really an amazing day,” Perez said.
“Everyone should feel incredibly proud to complete our first laps as a team. Each and every person has worked so hard to get to this moment, and it was emotional to be part of motorsport history.
“We can, and should, all enjoy, but it’s absolutely fired me up for more. I just want to get back in and get mileage – this is just the start.”
Perez will drive alongside Valtteri Bottas in the team’s first season.
Perez has spent a year on the sidelines after being sacked by Red Bull. Cadillac
The car ran in an all-black livery, with their race livery to be unveiled during the Super Bowl in next month.
To prepare for their entry into the sport, the team spent the back end of the 2025 season running ghost races on grand prix weekends, which would involve real-world data from the race track inputted into the team’s simulator, to try and mimic the live decisions they will have to make in real races.
Team principal Graeme Lowdon said the shakedown day allowed the team to now take those learnings into a live garage and iron out any creases in their systems.
“It’s been a great opportunity for the team to gel in a live garage environment, verify car systems and resolve any initial issues,” he said.
“But it’s just the beginning of the road; we now turn our attention to pre-season testing in just a few weeks’ time, which will provide even more opportunity to learn.”
There are two official three-day pre-season tests in Bahrain before the season starts proper, but teams are permitted to perform shakedowns, where track running is limited.
Cadillac chief executive said “watching the car roll out of the garage is a moment of pride”.
“The first laps on track mark a historic milestone; the culmination of thousands of hours of work, driven by pure passion,” he said.
“Graeme has done an outstanding job of assembling a team of absolute racers who have given everything to get to this moment.
“This is just the beginning, as our work continues at pace towards Melbourne and beyond.”
Cadillac are the first all-new team on the grid since Haas debuted in 2016. Audi will also enter the sport in 2026, having taken over the Sauber team.
The 2026 F1 season gets underway in Melbourne on March 8.