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Zhou Guanyu will continue in a reserve driver role for another year in 2026 after moving from Ferrari to Cadillac.
He was previously tipped as a potential race driver for Cadillac’s first year in F1 as he is connected to team principal Graeme Lowden via his management team. However Cadillac appointed Sergio Perez and Zhou’s former Sauber team mate Valtteri Bottas as its regular drivers for 2026.
Zhou said the team “is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects that the sport has ever seen.”
“I have worked with both Graeme and Valtteri for many years in various capacities, so joining the team feels like rejoining family. Having had recent experience on track and in developing the cars off track, I know I can add huge value to the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and I am looking forward to supporting them the best way that I can.”
Zhou was the first Chinese driver to race in Formula 1 when he joined the series in 2022. He was dropped by Sauber after three seasons and returned to Ferrari, where he was previously part of their junior driver programme.
Cadillac previously announced Colton Herta as its test driver for the upcoming season. Herta has moved from IndyCar to Formula 2 in a bid to score the necessary superlicence points to move into F1.
Lowden said: “Our process for selecting a reserve driver has been as thorough as the search for our race drivers. We wanted a candidate who had recent F1 driving experience, is prepared to work hard as part of a team and understands the challenges of developing a car throughout the season. Zhou fits the bill perfectly. He will be a great asset to us as we go racing in 2026 and we look forward to him being an integral part of our team.”
View the current list of 2026 F1 drivers and teams
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