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Sergio Perez is set to test Ferrari's 2023 F1 challenger, the SF-23, after the 2025 Azerbaijan GP weekend from September 19 to 21. The Mexican driver, who will race for Cadillac in 2026, was at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium on Wednesday (September 17) to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Dodgers vs Phillies game.
During a press conference after the honor, the former Red Bull star confirmed his F1 testing plans for Cadillac before returning to racing in 2026 after a year on the sidelines. Perez mentioned that he would be testing an F1 car next week as part of bringing his racing instinct and fitness back to life.
"Next week, it will be first in Charlotte and then England. At the venue, I will try in the simulator, but then I plan to drive an F1 car. I have to start preparing to be ready for the beginning of next year, since my neck has lost tone and I have to recover full functionality to drive an F1 car at its best," the 35-year-old said via Motorsport Italia.
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Sergio Perez hinted that it would be a TPC (Test Previous Cars) test, with him piloting Ferrari's SF-23 in the UK. Cadillac is able to facilitate such a test because of its technical ties with the Scuderia. The American team will be a Ferrari customer team when it enters F1 in 2026, sourcing power units, gearboxes, and suspensions from the Italian team.
The General Motors-backed Cadillac F1 team aims to manufacture in-house engines by the end of the decade and eventually end its reliance on Ferrari.
Cadillac Team Principal reveals Sergio Perez has begun karting as prep for 2026 F1 return
Cadillac F1 Team Principal Graeme Lowdon recently revealed that Sergio Perez has been doing some karting as base preparation for his 2026 return. The Mexican driver had no racing commitments in 2025 after Red Bull sacked him towards the end of 2024.
In an interview with F1 presenter Lawrence Barretto, Lowdon touched upon Perez's progress and Cadillac's testing plans before its debut
"I don't think he (Perez) will have forgotten how to drive, that's for sure. He's doing a bit of karting, and we'll have him on the simulator quite soon. We're going to do some testing in real-world cars as well. So I've got no doubts that he'll be back up to speed in time," Lowdon said.
"Obviously, one of the advantages that we have in 2026 is, unlike a normal championship year, where there's only three days of testing, for 2026, there's going to be an initial test in Barcelona and then two additional tests in Bahrain. We'll have three times the amount of testing. so that will help get them up to speed as well," the Cadillac boss added.
Sergio Perez's to-be teammate, Valtteri Bottas, had no full-time F1 drive either this season, but being Mercedes' reserve driver ensured he was in touch with the latest technical developments.
