Cadillac F1 already rolled in England in Sergio Pérez’s first shakedown with his new team, which represented the first big step before his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. They did it in a 200-kilometer filming session on the Silverstone track, on a day where there were complications but, in the end, the roar of the Ferrari engine was heard.
After overcoming initial technical problems that delayed engine ignition in the morning, the Mexican completed the first installation laps, a milestone he described as “exciting.”
Checo Pérez’s reaction to his first time with Cadillac: “It turned me on”
When he got out of the car, the driver from Guadalajara did not hide his enthusiasm. Far from seeing this first shoot as a simple technical procedure, Checo Pérez highlighted the emotional charge of the moment and his hunger for success with this new project.
“Today was a truly incredible day. Everyone should feel incredibly proud to complete our first laps as a team,” Checo stated via a press release.
“Each person has worked so hard to get to this moment and it was emotional to be a part of motorsport history. We can, and should, all enjoy it, but this has absolutely fired me up to go for more. I just want to get back on it and rack up the miles – this is just the beginning.”
Sergio Perez, Cadillac
Photo by: Cadillac Communications
These words confirm the commitment of the Mexican, who seeks to vindicate himself after his departure from Red Bull, now leading the development of a structure that was born from scratch.
Pride in the board and the support of Bottas
The event also served to measure team cohesion. Valtteri Bottas, Pérez’s teammate, witnessed the filming from the garage.
“As a team we made history today… Checo did the first laps with the car running smoothly. I’m proud of the whole team for reaching this point, which is really impressive,” said the Finn.
For its part, Cadillac management celebrated the milestone as a technical victory. Team CEO Dan Towriss called the laps the “culmination of pure passion,” while team principal Graeme Lowdon emphasized that this shakedown allowed the group to “come together in a live garage environment” to check systems and iron out details before heading off to private testing starting January 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain, when they will take on their rivals for the first time.
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