Checo Pérez Returns to F1 Track for Cadillac Pre-Season Tests

Barcelona, Spain — Mexican driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez is celebrating, but not precisely for turning 36 years old. Instead, he is marking his return to the Formula 1 tracks as part of an intense 2026 pre-season.

The driver from Guadalajara, now with Cadillac in a new adventure in the highest category of motorsport, will participate in the official practices in Barcelona, where several teams are already showcasing their single-seaters for the upcoming campaign.

During his first session in Spain, the 36-year-old driver set a time of 1:25.974, placing him in ninth position at that moment.

The first day of the shakedown in Catalonia began this Monday with the participation of drivers including Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Franco Colapinto (Alpine), Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Esteban Ocon (Haas), and Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac).

Unlike the tests conducted in November, when the Ferrari SF-23—the 2023 season single-seater—was used, Pérez and the Cadillac team will begin gathering the first sensations of the car with which they will compete in the 2026 season. This test will take place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona from January 26 to 30, alongside the rest of the 10 participating teams this year.

Cadillac will reveal the image of its 2026 single-seater on February 8, choosing a moment of high media impact to do so. The presentation of the paint design will be made through a commercial broadcast during the NFL Super Bowl, a showcase that will allow the colors and visual identity of the car to be revealed for the first time, which will be driven by the Mexican and Valtteri Bottas.

The second round of official tests will be from February 11 to 13 at the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain, where Checo will begin developing the single-seater after working on engine reliability. For this session, it is scheduled that he will share driving duties with Valtteri Bottas.

The third and final round of pre-season tests will take place again in Sakhir from February 18 to 20. In these tests, both Checo and Bottas will seek the maximum amount of development elements prior to the start of their team’s debut campaign.

The first race of the year will be the Australian Grand Prix, to be held from March 6 to 8 at the Albert Park Circuit. These dates will mark Checo’s official return to Formula 1, now as the leader of a completely new project, that of Cadillac F1.