Zhou Guanyu took an important step towards reclaiming a full-time Method 1 seat on Wednesday, as Ferrari confirmed he could be sharing reserve driver duties with Antonio Giovinazzi for the 2025 season.
The 2024 driver market was extremely unstable, with Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer to Ferrari triggering a domino impact that reshaped workforce lineups throughout the paddock.
Zhou’s former workforce, Sauber, endured a dismal season, ending on the backside of the constructors’ championship with simply 4 factors. These factors got here courtesy of Zhou’s stellar drive on the Qatar Grand Prix, however his efforts weren’t sufficient to safe his place within the squad. As a substitute, Sauber opted for an all-new lineup of Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. All through the season, Zhou remained vocal about his need to remain in Method 1, although he acknowledged that his probabilities of retaining his seat with the soon-to-be Audi-run workforce had been slim.
A brand new report from Motorsport Italia has make clear Zhou’s future ambitions and the way his Ferrari transfer could also be a stepping stone towards his final goal—racing for Cadillac when the workforce enters Method 1 in 2026.
Zhou Guanyu’s Ambition: A Cadillac Race Seat in 2026
Ferrari has introduced Zhou onboard to share reserve duties with Antonio Giovinazzi, who can have occasional conflicts on account of his commitments within the World Endurance Championship. The Motorsport Italia report means that Zhou’s long-term purpose is to safe a seat with Cadillac in 2026, and his newest transfer may considerably increase his probabilities of attaining that goal.
Cadillac will debut in Method 1 subsequent season utilizing Ferrari energy models whereas Common Motors continues the event of its personal engines. This association mirrors Ferrari’s partnership with Haas, which performed a key function in Oliver Bearman’s rise to a full-time F1 drive. One other main think about Zhou’s favor is that his supervisor, Graeme Lowdon, has been appointed as Cadillac’s workforce principal, additional strengthening his ties to the American outfit.
Nonetheless, whereas Zhou has a powerful connection to the undertaking, Cadillac can also be eager on fielding an American driver. Colton Herta is among the many frontrunners for a race seat, and whereas direct comparisons between Herta and Zhou stay speculative, the Chinese language driver’s prior F1 expertise might be a decisive benefit in securing the second slot on the workforce.
Zhou Guanyu’s Position with Ferrari in 2025
Whereas Zhou’s addition to Ferrari’s roster isn’t an important facet of their 2025 season technique, his presence enhances the workforce’s depth in case both Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc is unavailable.
Antonio Giovinazzi and Method 2 prospect Dino Beganovic lately participated in a Ferrari take a look at session in Barcelona, the place Hamilton and Leclerc additionally ran a Pirelli tire take a look at. Zhou’s return to Ferrari is notable, as he was a part of their driver academy from 2014 to 2018 earlier than shifting on to pursue alternatives elsewhere.
At current, Zhou will not be scheduled to compete in any racing collection alongside his reserve function. Nonetheless, ought to he search race expertise in one other class, it will must align with weekends when Antonio Giovinazzi is obtainable for Ferrari’s F1 commitments.
His administration workforce pushed aggressively to maintain him throughout the Method 1 ecosystem, and at one level, Zhou was even linked to a reserve function with Crimson Bull.
Lewis Hamilton has beforehand spoken extremely of Zhou, and dealing alongside the seven-time world champion may show invaluable because the Chinese language driver prepares for a possible return to the grid in 2026—probably as a part of Method 1’s latest workforce.
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