MARANELLO, Italy — Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1, is set to return to Ferrari as a reserve driver for the 2025 season.
Zhou currently does not hold an active race position for the upcoming year after departing from Sauber at the conclusion of the previous season. However, he is in line to step in if either Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton is unable to participate in any races.
At 25 years old, Zhou made his F1 debut in 2022 with what was then known as the Alfa Romeo team, which later reverted back to the Sauber name. He achieved his best race finish of eighth place and enjoys significant commercial and sponsorship support in his home country of China. Zhou has previously been part of the Ferrari driver academy earlier in his racing career.
As one of Ferrari’s reserve drivers, Zhou joins Antonio Giovinazzi, a former Sauber driver who last participated in a Formula 1 race in 2021 and has served as a long-term reserve without having driven for the team so far.
In a notable incident last season, Carlos Sainz Jr. from Ferrari was unable to race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis. The team chose to promote Oliver Bearman, a then-Formula 2 driver, instead of calling upon their reserves.
Bearman’s impressive seventh-place finish, despite the challenging and unfamiliar circuit, helped him gain momentum and secure a full-time race seat for the 2025 season with Haas.