Ferrari-powered Cadillac was forced to halt preseason testing in Barcelona, raising early concerns about Sergio Pérez’s long-term project ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Sergio Pérez and Cadillac's plans have been disrupted by the Ferrari engine they will be using throughout the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
The American team was one of the teams absent during the second day of testing in Barcelona. Although they were present on the first day, Checo and his team decided to skip Tuesday's activity. Now, according to @CadillacargF1, the reason was as follows: "Cadillac decided not to go out on track today to work on the issues detected yesterday (which did not prevent them from running).
“The idea is to resolve them all at once this week and arrive in Bahrain with everything ready to drive as much as possible and focus on the car's performance,” they said in recent hours.
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How many years does Checo Pérez have on his contract with Cadillac?
Sergio Pérez returned to Formula 1 with Cadillac, and one of the biggest questions on fans' minds is the length of his contract, as this could be his last team before retirement. According to information from Diego Mejía, a renowned motorsports journalist, the Jalisco-born driver will be on the track for quite some time: "Checo has said he has two years with Cadillac. His contract, as understood today, is a 2+1 where two years committed with conditions for a third. He has also said that he plans to stay as long as necessary to reap the rewards and that he is not setting a deadline for his last big project," they reported.
While Cadillac insists the decision to skip track time in Barcelona was strategic rather than alarming, the episode highlights the razor-thin margins new teams face in modern Formula 1. For Sergio Pérez, the 2026 season represents not just a return, but a legacy-defining chapter tied to Cadillac’s ambitious entry into the sport. Whether Ferrari’s power unit issues are merely early growing pains or a sign of deeper challenges will become clearer in Bahrain. What is certain is that, before a single race has been run, the pressure is already on — and the clock is ticking.
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