F1 news: Zhou Guanyu returns to Ferrari as reserve driver for the 2025 season
Ferrari have announced the signing of Zhou Guanyu as their reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Zhou will share the role with 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and former Alfa Romeo F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.
A homecoming
This move marks a return to familiar territory for Zhou, who was part of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2015 to 2018.
During his time in the FDA, the Chinese driver climbed the junior ranks, progressing through Formula 4 and Formula 3.
For 2025, he joins Ferrari’s elite lineup alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Monaco Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc.
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Zhou’s road back to the F1 grid
The 2024 F1 season saw six full-time drivers lose their seats for 2025, with Zhou among the unlucky ones.
He made his Formula 1 debut in 2022 after winning the F3 Asian Championship and finishing third in Formula 2 in 2021.
His entry into Formula 1 was historic, as he became the sport’s first Chinese driver.
The milestone became even more significant in 2024 when he became the first Chinese driver to compete in a home Grand Prix, as F1 returned to China for the first time since 2019.
Zhou joined Sauber in 2021 - then known as Alfa Romeo - alongside Valtteri Bottas, who had just moved from Mercedes.
Unfortunately, their timing couldn’t have been worse.
Sauber struggled for years, with 2024 being a particularly forgettable season for KICK Sauber.
In a challenging 2024 season marred by early pit stop issues and underwhelming performances from the C44, Zhou delivered a standout performance by securing an eighth-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix, earning KICK Sauber's sole 4 points of the year in the penultimate race.
The achievement was so impressive, that he was voted Driver of the Day.
Zhou never truly got the chance to prove himself in F1, but his Ferrari return keeps him in the conversation for a 2026 seat - especially with Cadillac set to join the grid.
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