Pat Symonds confirms Cadillac-Ferrari test as 2026 entry nears

Cadillac’s new Formula 1 project has taken a key step toward its 2026 debut, with chief technical advisor Pat Symonds revealing that the team has already conducted practical testing using a two-year-old Ferrari.

Speaking in Austin, the former Williams and Renault engineer said the early running allowed Cadillac’s mechanics to gain hands-on experience ahead of next year’s first official pre-season.

“We were able to attend some tests with two-year-old cars to get the mechanics working together as a team,” Symonds explained.

“It's about simple things, like seeing how to b

leed 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 homologation process was already close to completion. “We’ll be homologating our chassis in the next few weeks through the FIA crash tests,” he confirmed.

“This is much earlier than I've ever done before in my career with any other team, 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.”

Cadillac’s operations are divided between Charlotte and Fishers in the United States, with a secondary base in Silverstone and 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 said Cadillac’s technical partnership with Ferrari will be limited to the supply of the engine and gearbox cassette, making clear the team intends to build much of the car in-house.

“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 world champion as a customer team.”

The 70-year-old Briton also confirmed that both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have provided simulator input during early development. “Perez said, ‘I need a slightly different feel with the steering,’” Symonds said.

“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.”