Sergio Perez in a Ferrari? Inside His Upcoming F1 Drive in Imola

TPC sessions allow F1 teams to have up to 20 days of on-track testing, so long as they are using a car model that is two or more years old. And this unlimited track time makes this a critical part of every F1 crew’s preparations for a transitional period, such as the beginning of a season or when a new driver is coming in.

And a transitional period is exactly what Cadillac is right in the middle of as they gear up to join the F1 grid as the 11th team from 2026 onwards. While the team has been doing prep work in the form of simulations, this testing session in Imola will be an excellent opportunity for everyone at Cadillac, from the drivers to the engineers and pit crew members, to get some on-track experience together ahead of their debut next year.

“They’ll be very useful,” said Perez during a football match in Mexico ahead of his home grand prix, “because we’ll be able to work with the mechanics and engineers to have the whole team ready for the testing program that begins in January, very early in the year, where we’ll already be at 100%.”

But why a Ferrari car specifically? 

It is not surprising that Cadillac is relying on other manufacturers in a situation like this, given that they don’t have a backlog of their own previous F1 cars to work with yet.

But the use of a Ferrari is likely linked to the fact that Cadillac will be powered by Ferrari engines during their first few years in F1, while their own power unit production program is in development. And although the power unit in the SF-23 that Perez is set to drive will be quite different from what the 2026 cars will use, having experience with a recent Ferrari engine will still be useful as he prepares for his return to the sport. 

And while Perez hasn’t been out of an F1 car for long–less than a year so far–this will also be a great chance for him to fire up his driver’s muscle memory.

“Well, as much as I train, I need to have time, kilometers in the car, because in the end, they are very specific exercises and muscles that you train in the car," he said.

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