Sergio Perez is due to get his first taste back in a Formula 1 car, testing for Cadillac ahead of his 2026 return with the American team.
Perez lost his Red Bull seat at the end of 2024, the Mexican driver concluding a disappointing campaign with a complete departure from F1.
The team’s decision to switch Perez for Lawson was not a surprise, but brought to an end a remarkable 14 consecutive seasons in the sport.
However, with Cadillac prioritising experience as it prepares to debut in 2025, Perez, along with Valtteri Bottas, has been handed a reprieve.
Cadillac has a base in both England and the United States. This leads to a schedule split between work in both factories.
Perez spoke at a Los Angeles Dodgers event where he divulged he would be heading to the UK for his first taste of F1 machinery since his departure from the series.
“Next week I will be in Charlotte and in England,” said Perez.
“For me, it’s important to drive this year. Especially for the neck, so that my body adapts again to what’s going to happen in 2026.
“I will train in the simulator, and there are plans for me to test an F1 car.”
Cadillac does not retain a previous F1 car to test with, though the team’s senior bosses had indicated that a deal with an incumbent team would give it that chance.
So, the Mexican will likely be getting behind the wheel of a past Ferrari car, as Cadillac will be a customer of the Italian marque for the first few years of the venture.
For Perez and Bottas, Cadillac offers a second chance, with both drivers enduring 2025 on the sidelines. However, their futures, even within the new project, are not assured.
Colton Herta has been taken on as a test driver, the young IndyCar driver trading racing in the States for the European single-seater ladder in a bid to realise his F1 dream.
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