Overview
- Sergio Perez returned to F1 machinery for the first time in almost a year, completing day one in a blacked‑out Ferrari SF‑23 to gauge fitness and refine race‑weekend routines.
- Ferrari loaned the two‑year‑old car and supplied around 30 staff to work alongside roughly 20 Cadillac personnel, with Arthur Leclerc conducting a Fiorano shakedown beforehand.
- Team principal Graeme Lowdon stressed the focus on drills such as pit stops, garage choreography and communications, saying the outing was about testing people rather than car performance.
- Valtteri Bottas did not take part due to his Mercedes reserve deal through the end of 2025 and is set to begin operational work with Cadillac in January.
- Cadillac targets an engine fire‑up before Christmas and a first shakedown run in January before the late‑January Barcelona test as it builds toward a 2026 Australian Grand Prix debut with Ferrari power.