Cadillac F1 confirms true Ferrari impact on test plans ahead of F1 2026 debut

Cadillac has explained its testing programme ahead of F1 2026, following rumours that it would carry out TPC running with a Ferrari car.

With no two-year-old car of its own, reports had suggested Cadillac would turn to power unit supplier Ferrari to use an old car from the Scuderia to carry out a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme.

Pat Symonds explains Ferrari-Cadillac test

Cadillac will arrive in F1 as the 11th team on the grid next season, coinciding with a complete overhaul of the power unit and aerodynamics regulations.

As a brand-new team, Cadillac doesn’t have any previous cars of its own, meaning that a real-life testing programme would be very difficult; carrying out a testing programme would allow the burgeoning squad to iron out some of the operational processes that its 10 rivals keep sharp on through testing and racing.

There have been reports that the American squad could run a car provided by Ferrari, with the regulations permitting a competitor to use a car from a rival squad, provided there is prior authorisation from the FIA.

However, with no car of its own to run for a TPC programme, team boss Graeme Lowdon told the Beyond The Grid podcast last month that the car itself “isn’t actually important” as the tests would primarily be to allow mechanics and crew to develop muscle memory of working in the pitlane, instilling good garage practice, and getting used to working with a car with new colleagues.

“What we want is an environment where the mechanics get used to each other and learn everyone’s way of doing things,” he said.

Earlier this month, PlanetF1.com reported that the all-new squad had locked in plans to ‘observe’ a test.

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Cadillac’s executive engineering consultant Pat Symonds offered an update on how the team’s pre-2026 testing programme is playing out, with the British engineer confirming that a session sitting in on a Ferrari test has already taken place.

“We can’t actually run the car ourselves,” he told select media, including PlanetF1.com.

“So there are two sessions, one of which has already occurred, and there’s one more coming up.

“Really, it’s much more about the team building. They’re getting our mechanics. We’ve now got our full complement of mechanics and race engineers, so getting them together and working with the Ferrari guys, who we will be working with.

“There are those simple things, like seeing how we need to bleed the hydraulics on their system, how you refuel the car, all that sort of stuff.

“Because a lot of those systems will be similar, but yeah, it’s very good from a team-building point of view, and also good for some of the relatively routine operational aspects.”

Cadillac ‘in charge of destiny’ in Ferrari partnership

Cadillac, through parent company General Motors, will become a fully autonomous manufacturer in the coming years, having set up its own power unit operation, but will start life in F1 as a customer team running the Ferrari power unit.

This is a similar model to fellow US team Haas, which is also a Ferrari customer.

But Symonds confirmed that the supply agreement with the Maranello-based manufacturer will differ from other Ferrari customers, in that the American squad wants to have greater control over its own success.

“We’re not doing it in the model like some of our competitors,” he said.

“So we’re taking the engine, we’re taking the gearbox cassette, the actual sort of change gears… but the whole of the gearbox carrier, the whole of the rear suspension, all those parts – front suspension, indeed, all those parts of some other teams are buying from their suppliers, we’re not doing that.

“We are designing from scratch. I’m a great believer in being in charge of your own destiny, and I think, if you are a customer team, to me, that’s not the way to win the World Championship.”

As for getting a clear picture of the engineering requirements for its car to fit a power unit that isn’t yet physically available to work with, Symonds said Ferrari has been very transparent in terms of what a customer team needs to have ready on its end to slot one of its upcoming new hybrid power units into the back of a chassis; Cadillac has got a single non-race prototype chassis already constructed, that was designed prior to the details of the power unit installation.

“They’ve been very accommodating,” he said.

“It’s not the major things, a simple example is some of the wiring around the engine, some of the position of the hydraulic manifold was only actually finalised a couple of weeks ago.

“So those sorts of things, they’re not the end of the world, but you may have made some hydraulic pipes that you actually then have to change, and things like that.

“All the major stuff is quite early. They’ve just been amazingly helpful. They really seem to be on board with our project. It’s been really good working with them.”

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock.

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