Sergio Perez has received his first style of Method 1 equipment in just below a 12 months after starting a two-day check in a 2023-spec Ferrari at Imola as a part of his preparations to return to the grid with Cadillac subsequent 12 months, F1.com understands.
The Mexican endured a tough finish to a four-year stint with Crimson Bull which resulted in Perez finally reaching an settlement with the workforce to half methods on the finish of 2024, regardless of having two years left on his contract.
The 35-year-old used his first vital break from motor racing for nearly twenty years to spend time with household and consider his life objectives earlier than deciding to enroll to drive for Cadillac within the American squad’s debut F1 marketing campaign.
As a brand new workforce, Cadillac haven’t got a Testing of Earlier Automobiles (TPC) programme and thus they’ve come to an association with engine provider Ferrari to make use of one in all their two-year previous vehicles to help Perez in getting again on top of things.
The check can be giving Cadillac an opportunity to construct on their work within the simulator and working digital race weekends by having some members of the race workforce on-site working with the Ferrari crew who run the Scuderia’s TPC programme.
Perez accomplished his seat match at Maranello final week forward of this week’s check, which runs on Thursday and Friday, at Imola.
The automotive is working with an all-black livery, with Perez donning black overalls and a black helmet.
The check is designed to provide the previous Sauber, McLaren and Pressure India racer a refresher of F1 equipment and assist him get used to protocols and procedures once more whereas additionally assessing his health earlier than he will get behind the wheel of the first-ever Cadillac F1 automotive in pre-season subsequent January.
“I feel it is nice to get the working and likewise the timing works completely as a result of it is simply earlier than the January check,” Perez, who’s again to racing weight and health, informed F1.com earlier than getting again within the automotive.
“On these two days, on the bodily facet, I need to see how a lot I’ve misplaced, the place I must work on. It can give me an excellent information for the winter, to have the ability to concentrate on that stuff.”
He added: “It is usually an opportunity to start out working along with the workforce, with the engineers, with the mechanics and begin to converse the identical language. It is undoubtedly a good time for us.”
Since signing his take care of Cadillac in the summertime break, Perez has been immersing himself within the workforce via common visits to the workforce’s UK and American bases, plus a number of periods within the simulator.
He was on the Silverstone manufacturing unit on Monday for extra conferences with the workforce plus a seat match of their inaugural Method 1 monocoque, which has been constructed to sweeping new laws for 2026.
Following this week’s check at Imola, Perez will perform extra simulator periods, ramp up his conferences with the workforce and concentrate on a winter coaching block so he is able to hit the bottom working in January.
Subsequent 12 months the Mexican will workforce up with Valtteri Bottas, who has additionally had a 12 months on the sidelines as a reserve for Mercedes, with the duo oozing expertise via their mixed 527 Grands Prix.
Bottas must look ahead to his first likelihood to work with Cadillac on-track as he’s at present contracted to Mercedes till the top of the season.
