The 2026 F1 season will see an eleventh team join the grid for the first time since 2016. Backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team already boasts an all-star lineup led by former Mercedes driver Valteri Bottas and Red Bull Racing alum Sergio Perez.
Today, the team has announced that Zhou Guanyu has joined them as Cadillac's official Reserve Driver. As a reminder, a driver in this role serves as a ready-to-race stand-in in case one of the main drivers is injured or ill. However, they also do crucial work behind the scenes, including extensive simulator sessions that help the wider team better understand and develop the car.
Guanyu raced alongside Bottas at Alfa Romeo and Kick Sauber, and a press release touts that he "brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team."
With a 68-race F1 career that began in 2022, the Shanghai-born Zhou, who is China's first and only F1 driver, scored Kick Sauber's only points finish of 2024 in the Qatar Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old has also worked closely with Scuderia Ferrari, which is supplying Cadillac with its power unit and gearbox in 2026. Guanyu boasts wins in the Formula 2 series, the Formula 3 European Championship, and the Italian Formula 4 Championship. He also won the F3 Asian Championship by claiming four victories and five pole positions.
"I am delighted to join the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Reserve Driver ahead of its Formula 1 debut," Guanyu said today. "This is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects that the sport has ever seen."
"I have worked with both Graeme [Lowdon] and Valtteri [Bottas] for many years in various capacities, so joining the team feels like rejoining family," he continued. "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."
Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal, Cadillac Formula 1 Team, added, "Our process for selecting a Reserve Driver has been as thorough as the search for our Race Drivers. 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 concluded.
Zhou won't be the only Reserve Driver who previously had an F1 seat returning to the grid this year. Yuki Tsunoda, who raced for Racing Bulls and Red Bull in the 2025 season, will now be the latter team's Reserve Driver after losing his seat to rising star Isack Hadjar.