As construction continues on Cadillac’s Formula 1 facility in Fishers, the new team has quietly taken an important first step on the track.

Cadillac completed its first full preseason test in Bahrain ahead of the March 8 season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. For a brand-new team, the early focus was not flashy lap times but something more basic — reliability and repetition.

According to multiple motorsports reports, Cadillac logged more than 1,700 kilometers during the Bahrain test, the equivalent of roughly five full race distances. The team reportedly ran more than 100 laps on each day of testing, a significant benchmark for any new entry trying to establish operational stability.

There were a few expected hiccups. One on-track stoppage triggered a red flag during testing, and another session required extended garage time for repairs. But the overall takeaway from credible reporting was that Cadillac accomplished what new teams most need to accomplish: get through programs, collect data, and avoid major mechanical failures.

Testing lap times can be misleading in modern Formula 1. Teams run different fuel loads, tire compounds and engine settings, often masking their true pace. Observers noted that Cadillac appeared to focus on long runs and systems work rather than chasing headline times on the timing sheets.

Drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas have tempered expectations publicly while making clear the team is not entering Formula 1 simply to participate. In interviews, Pérez acknowledged that a championship challenge is unrealistic in year one, but said the team would be disappointed to finish last given the level of investment and recruitment behind the project.

Cadillac will debut this season using Ferrari power units while building its long-term technical program. Much of that development work is expected to be tied to the new campus under construction in Fishers, which has been publicly described as a central hub for the American side of the operation.

For local residents watching the Fishers facility take shape, the early signs suggest Cadillac should at least arrive in Melbourne race-ready. The more realistic short-term goal appears to be finishing races consistently, executing clean weekends and capitalizing when opportunities arise — the traditional path for new teams trying to establish themselves in the midfield.

Formula 1 history shows that year-one results rarely tell the whole story. What matters is whether a new organization can build infrastructure, refine processes and accelerate development as the season progresses.

That long game now has a visible address in Fishers.

When the lights go out in Australia on March 8, the team on the grid will represent not just a global manufacturer entering Formula 1, but a growing Central Indiana footprint aiming to compete on the world’s biggest motorsports stage.