Cadillac’s newly formed Formula 1 team moved from planning into on-track reality with shakedowns that began at Silverstone and continued at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, where the American entry completed its first meaningful running against rival squads. The rookie outfit — Formula 1’s 11th team — has signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, two mid-thirties veterans who bring a combined 16 grand prix wins and wide experience. Team principal Graeme Lowdon said recruiting experienced drivers would help unify the engineering group and garage, and Bottas summed the short-term aim as “try not to be last.”

The Barcelona shakedown was framed as a debugging and data-gathering exercise. Bottas handled the morning running, completing 33 laps, and Pérez completed 11 in the afternoon, 44 laps in total, many of them installation and systems-check laps; running was curtailed at times by minor technical issues and the team again struggled to accumulate mileage.

Drivers and engineers described a learning curve under the major 2026 regulation changes: Bottas said the car felt different, with less aerodynamic load in high-speed corners, more torque on corner exit and increased battery-management demands, and Pérez called the new engine “massively different” and said “it’s always challenging when there is a massive rule change.” Ferrari supplies the power unit. Lowdon and the drivers emphasized that the priority was to debug systems, build mileage and establish team procedures, with plans to use further permitted test days and upcoming sessions in Bahrain to work through gremlins rather than chase immediate lap-time performance.

Sources