Cadillac driver Sergio Perez revealed more details about his upcoming Ferrari test at a PR meeting in Mexico.
The six-time Formula 1 race winner will have the chance to drive a Ferrari car from last year in Imola in November 2025 – probably the Ferrari SF-23 from the 2023 season.
At the Singapore Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz at the wheel, this car destroyed Red Bull’s previously perfect season and gave Ferrari its only win of the season. In 2025, Lewis Hamilton also used an SF-23 in his first Ferrari test.
Why Cadillac is getting a Ferrari
How did Cadillac get this vehicle? As a newcomer to Formula 1, the US team does not have any older vehicles that it could use for testing purposes. However, as a Ferrari customer team, the traditional team from Maranello gave it the opportunity to borrow such an old car.
It is unclear in which paintwork the Ferrari SF-23 will take to the track during the test drives in Imola and whether Perez’s teammate Valtteri Bottas will also be allowed to drive. Bottas is currently still under contract as a Mercedes test driver.
But similar to Perez, Bottas is already thinking intensively about the 2026 season and the Cadillac entry.
What Perez expects from the Imola tests
And at least Perez expects something from the test drives in Imola: “They will be very useful because we can work with the mechanics and engineers to prepare the entire team for the test program that starts in January – very early in the year – and in which we will already be at 100 percent,” explained Perez.
The former Red Bull driver said he would spend a lot of time in the simulator until then “to get physically fit” for his Formula 1 comeback.
Perez has been enthusiastic about Cadillac so far: “It’s always nice to have a team that listens to you, supports you and appreciates you. Every driver dreams of that.”
Early exit for Perez at Red Bull
Perez no longer experienced this appreciation towards the end of his time at Red Bull. Although Perez took second place in the World Championship in 2023 behind teammate Max Verstappen and thus achieved his best career result, he fell into a dip in form in 2024 and only finished eighth in the World Championship.
He then agreed with Red Bull to terminate his contract early and left Formula 1 – for the time being. Because in 2026 Perez will return with Cadillac.