Symonds reveals Cadillac-Ferrari test as 2026 debut nears

(GMM) Cadillac’s preparations for its 2026 Formula 1 debut are gathering pace, with chief technical advisor Pat Symonds (pictured) confirming the team has already conducted hands-on tests using a two-year-old Ferrari.

Speaking to reporters in Austin, the former Williams and Renault veteran said the early running gave Cadillac’s mechanics vital operational experience ahead of the new team’s first pre-season next year.

“We were able to attend some tests with two-year-old cars to get the mechanics working together as a team,” Symonds revealed. “It’s about simple things, like seeing how to bleed the hydraulics, refuel the car, and so on.

“This first test was very good for team spirit and also for some of the relatively routine operational aspects. There will be another test like this.”

The American entry – officially branded as Cadillac and initially set to run Ferrari power units – will become Formula 1’s eleventh team when it joins the grid in 2026. Symonds said the chassis will be homologated “in the next few weeks” after early crash tests with the FIA.

“This is much earlier than I’ve ever done before in my career with any other team,” he said. “But for us, it’s absolutely the right thing to do because we have to make sure everything’s right. You’ll remember a few years ago, a team missed the start of testing because of a lack of preparation. We can’t afford that.”

The team’s operations are split across three bases – Charlotte and Fishers in the United States, and Silverstone in the UK – with aerodynamic work taking place in Toyota’s Cologne wind tunnel.

“This is an American team,” Symonds stressed. “It’s based in America, but it makes sense to get things going and use the knowledge from Europe. The physical separation doesn’t worry me at all, and mentally we’re one anyway.”

Symonds stressed that Cadillac’s technical partnership with Ferrari is limited to the engine and gearbox cassette, rejecting comparisons to customer outfits such as Haas.

“We take the engine and the gearbox cassette. But we don’t take the entire gearbox carrier, the rear suspension, the front suspension, and all the parts that other teams buy from suppliers,” he said. “We develop from scratch.

“I’m a firm believer in taking your own destiny into your own hands. And I believe that you can’t become a world champion as a customer team.”

Symonds also confirmed that both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have been contributing feedback through simulator work as Cadillac finalizes its first car concept.

“Perez said, ‘I need a slightly different feel with the steering,'” Symonds explained. “It’s fantastic that we can already do things like that. As for Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes has been very helpful and has allowed us to clarify certain things with Valtteri, such as seat shape, certain steering wheel preferences, and the like.”