Cadillac has announced its first driver for the upcoming 2026 Formula One season, Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu. The 26-year-old, who was previously with Ferrari's reserve team, will act as a reserve driver for the Cadillac team.
Zhou spent three seasons racing for Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber and was also with Ferrari last year as part of their reserve team. He will provide support to main drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in 2026.
The news comes ahead of Cadillac's first season in F1, where they will be powered by Ferrari engines until their own engine is ready for the 2029 season.
Zhou said that joining the team was a "big project" and one he was excited to be a part of. Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon described Zhou as having "recent F1 driving experience" and said he would be an asset to the team as they develop their car throughout the season.
Zhou spent three seasons racing for Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber and was also with Ferrari last year as part of their reserve team. He will provide support to main drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in 2026.
The news comes ahead of Cadillac's first season in F1, where they will be powered by Ferrari engines until their own engine is ready for the 2029 season.
Zhou said that joining the team was a "big project" and one he was excited to be a part of. Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon described Zhou as having "recent F1 driving experience" and said he would be an asset to the team as they develop their car throughout the season.
... i think it's cool that they're starting with a reserve driver, zhou guanyu seems like a good choice 
... Ferrari engines for now tho? that's gonna be interesting to watch 
... anyways, good luck to the team, i hope they can learn from zhou and improve their car throughout the season 
i mean, who else but valtteri bottas and sergei perez are gonna be driving their cars though? 
I went there last sunday with friends and omg the pancakes were TO DIE FOR!!! 
I'm thinking of getting a job at that place, I love food so much and it's always on my mind 
. anyway back to formula one... I wonder how Zhou Guanyu is gonna do as a reserve driver? 
think it's kinda cool that cadillac is giving zhou guanyu a chance, especially since they're still new to f1 
. just wondering if there's any politics involved here 
. also, i hope zhou doesn't feel too much pressure since he'll be working with valtteri and sergio 
.
. And what's up with Ferrari engines? It's gonna be like, three years before they even have their own power units ready... that's a lot of borrowed tech 
. On the bright side, I guess it's good for F1 that Cadillac is finally getting into the game and Zhou's got some decent experience under his belt 
.
. but kinda weird that theyre not giving him a full driver spot just yet? maybe its because they want to see how he works out with the ferrari engines first 
hope cadillac can make those own engines work out soon 
. Maybe his presence will help give Cadillac a leg up in terms of learning the F1 circuit and whatnot 
i mean, who knew green tea could taste so good?! anyway back to f1... i was just thinking, what's with all these new engines being introduced every year? it's like they're trying to keep us guessing or something 
. can't wait to see how it all plays out! 
Zhou Guanyu's stats are pretty impressive - 3 seasons with Alfa Romeo (Sauber) and a stint with Ferrari last year. That's some serious F1 experience for someone at just 26 years old! 
️!
Well, it makes sense - Ferrari's been in the game a while, so they've got some solid tech under their hood 
. I think it's a bold move, but I'm sure Zhou will be able to make a difference! 
He has some sweet experience under his belt with Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, so I'm hyped to see him help out Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez 
anyway Zhou Guanyu sounds like a decent pick at least hes got some F1 experience under his belt 
hope he can help cadillac make a good impression in their rookie season