Cadillac Formula 1 Team Zhou Guanyuhas officially confirmed that he will take over as reserve driver ahead of the team’s Formula 1 debut, scheduled for the 2026 season. This announcement was made simultaneously at Fishers in the US and Silverstone in the UK.
Zhou joins Cadillac’s F1 driver lineup that includes Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and test driver Colton Hurta, who will compete in Formula 2 for Hitech in 2026.
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Zhou, from Shanghai, is the first and to date the only Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1. His F1 career began with Alfa Romeo in 2022, and he participated in a total of 68 Grands Prix. He earned points three times in his debut season, including a point on his debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He recorded points three times in 2023, and in 2024, he remained even after the team name was changed to Kick Sauber, scoring the team’s only point performance of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Zhou, 26, also brings with him recent experience from Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari plans to supply power units and transmissions to Cadillac in 2026. Zhou will serve as the Italian team’s reserve driver during the 2025 season, participating in track programs, simulator work and testing using cars from previous seasons, accumulating important technical experience ahead of his new role.
Zhou also stood out in the junior category. In three seasons in Formula 2, he recorded 20 podiums and 5 wins, and finished the 2021 championship in 3rd place overall. In the same year, he won the Asian Formula 3 Championship with 4 wins and 5 pole positions. In addition, there are achievements in the European Formula 3 Championship and the Italian Formula 4 Championship, and he finished second in the 2015 Italian F4.
In an official statement, Zhou said he was delighted to be joining Cadillac’s Formula 1 project and emphasized his friendship with team members including Graeme Lowdon and Valtteri Bottas. He added that his recent track experience and machine development experience could contribute to the team’s preparations for its F1 debut.
Source and image: Cadillac. This content was created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
