U.S. automaker Cadillac on Monday announced China’s Guanyu Zhou as reserve driver for the team’s Formula 1 debut in 2026.
Guanyu Zhou, 26, joins Cadillac’s F1 team and will team up with Valtteri Bottas, Checo Perez and Colton Herta. “I am delighted to join Cadillac’s Formula 1 team as a reserve driver ahead of its debut. It is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects the sport has ever seen,” said the Shanghai native, who bid farewell to Ferrari on January 2.
Cadillac highlights Zhou’s experience
For his part, Graem Lowdon, Cadillac’s Formula 1 team principal, explained that the selection process for reserve drivers has been “as thorough as the search for race drivers.”
“We wanted a candidate with recent F1 experience, ready to work hard as part of the team.”
“And that he understood the challenges of developing a car during the season.”
“Guanyu Zhou fits this profile perfectly,” Lowdon detailed in Cadillac’s statement on the Chinese driver’s addition to the team.
Likewise, Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings, said he was “delighted to welcome Zhou”.
He described him as “talented, personable, respectful and committed to hard work”, as well as “an excellent addition to complement Valtteri and Checo”.
Towriss said he is “excited” about the “ambitious and fast” full driver lineup that will debut this year.
Guanyu Zhou fits this profile perfectly
Graem Lowdown
With information from EFE
Zhou in Formula 1
Guanyu Zhou is a Shanghai-born Chinese driver who made history by becoming the first driver from China to compete in Formula 1.
After a solid training in European youth categories, he excelled in Formula 2, where he achieved several victories and podiums.
In 2022 he made his F1 debut with Alfa Romeo, a team with which he competed until 2024, earning recognition for his consistency and technical ability.
In 2026, he joined Cadillac as a reserve driver, bringing key experience to the new U.S. project.
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