Zhou Guanyu took an important step to regain his status as a Formula 1 driver on Wednesday.
Ferrari announced that Zhou Guanyu would be sharing reserve driver duties with Antonio Giovinazzi for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Last season’s driver market was frenetic and it was Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari that set off a chain reaction that impacted nearly every team in the paddock.
Zhou’s old team Sauber were stuck at the bottom of the constructors’ championship, scoring just four points all season.
They came courtesy of Zhou’s brilliant race at the Qatar Grand Prix, but that wasn’t enough to save his seat, with Sauber deciding to sign Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Zhou made it clear throughout the season that his dream was to stay in Formula 1 even if he knew his chances of being retained by the team who would soon be taken over by Audi were slim.
A report from Motorsport Italia has shared more details about Zhou’s plans for the future are how signing for Ferrari may help him achieve his ultimate ‘goal’ of racing for F1’s newest team in 2026.
Zhou Guanyu’s ‘goal’ is to race for Cadillac in the 2026 Formula 1 season
Ferrari have brought in Zhou to share reserve driver duties with Giovinazzi as the Italian driver will occasionally be unavailable on race weekends due to his commitments in WEC.
The report suggests his ‘goal’ is to start racing for Cadillac next season and his latest move might be one of two reasons why he has a good chance of making that happen.
Next season, Cadillac will use Ferrari power units while they wait for General Motors to finish developing their own engines.
It’s a similar relationship to the one Ferrari have with Haas which has helped Oliver Bearman earn a race seat this season.
Zhou’s current manager Graeme Lowdon has also been appointed as Cadillac’s team principal when they make their debut next year.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
That connection could prove to be vital for the 25-year-old, although it’s known Cadillac also want an American driver to make up part of their line-up.
Colton Herta is considered one of the favourites to race for Cadillac and while it’s hard to know how he compares to Zhou, the Chinese driver’s previous F1 experience certainly works in his favour.
The role Zhou Guanyu will play for Ferrari during the 2025 F1 season
Bringing in Zhou isn’t a vital part of Ferrari’s preparations for the 2025 season, but does bolster the strength of their driver line-up in case either Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc is unavailable.
Both Giovinazzi and F2 star Dino Beganovic appeared in their latest test in Barcelona, with Hamilton and Leclerc also taking part in a Pirelli tyre test run.
Zhou was initially approached by Ferrari in November after previously being part of the team’s academy between 2014 and 2018.
READ MORE: Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth
He’s not currently set to take part in any other series alongside his reserve driver role, although if he were to race elsewhere, it would need to be on weekends when Giovinazzi is available to the F1 team.
The 25-year-old’s team reportedly pushed hard not to leave the Formula 1 paddock and Zhou was linked with a move to Red Bull at one point.
Hamilton has previously been complimentary about Zhou and the Chinese driver could learn a lot from the seven-time world champion before he potentially makes a comeback to the grid with the sport’s newest team in 2026.
