Cadillac F1 Announce Former Ferrari Star as New Driver for 2026

Cadillac F1 have confirmed the signing of Zhou Guanyu just days after the Chinese driver left his role at Ferrari.

The American team will become the 11th team on the grid this year, expanding the Formula 1 grid to 22 drivers for the first time since the 2016 season.

Cadillac's arrival has meant a significant change to qualifying rules this year, with Q1 and Q2 eliminations changing to accommodate the new team.

Sergio Perez and Valterri Bottas were confirmed as the team's driver lineup back in August last year, and now the debutants have added Zhou to their roster.

Zhou has raced in 68 Grands Prix and scored points on seven occasions in his F1 career, including on his debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022.

The Chinese driver lost his full-time seat at Sauber (now known as Audi) after the 2024 season and has since spent 12 months backing up Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari's reserve.

The 26-year-old will join Cadillac in the same reserve role, and will have hoping the move from Maranello increases his chances of returning to the grid full time.

Cadillac feels like 'family' for Zhou

Speaking via F1, Zhou stressed his excitement about joining the brand new project.

“I am delighted to join the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Reserve Driver ahead of its Formula 1 debut,” he said.

“This is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects that the sport has ever seen."

During his time at Sauber, Zhou raced alongside Bottas, and worked under team principal Graeme Lowden, making the team feel like 'family'.

He added: “I have worked with both Graeme [Lowdon] 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.”

Lowdon also stressed the importance of Zhou's role in the team, given Cadillac will head into the season as complete novices compared to their 10 rival teams.

“Our process for selecting a Reserve Driver has been as thorough as the search for our Race Drivers," he began.

"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," he added.