Chou Guanyu has joined Cadillac’s new F1 team as its official reserve driver ahead of its debut season.
Cadillac’s race driver lineup consists of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, while Colton Herta is a test driver but cannot serve as a reserve as he currently does not have the required FIA Super License points to race. This leaves room for an experienced reserve option, with Chou recently signed after leaving Ferrari.
Zhou raced for Sauber under the name Alfa Romeo and Stakes from 2022 to 2024, and was a reserve for Ferrari in 2025. During his time at Sauber, Zhou was teammates with Bottas and the two developed a strong relationship, often driving uncompetitive cars, while Cadillac team principal Graham Loudon is also part of the Chinese driver’s management team.
“I am happy to be joining the Cadillac F1 Team as their reserve driver ahead of their F1 debut,” said Chou. “This is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects in the history of our sport.
“I have worked with both Graham and Valtteri in various capacities over the years, so joining the team feels like coming back to the family. Having recently gained experience on the track and developing cars off the track, I am confident that I can bring great value to the Cadillac F1 Team and I look forward to supporting them in the best way possible.”
On January 2nd, Ferrari posted on social media about Chou Guanyu’s departure from the team, saying, “We would like to thank Chou Guanyu for his dedication and contribution as Ferrari Reserve Driver this season! We wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Loudon said Cadillac spent a lot of time considering adding Zhou because of the importance of having an experienced reserve option.
“The process of selecting a reserve driver is as thorough as the search for a race driver,” he said. “We were looking for a candidate with recent F1 driving experience, who is willing to work hard as part of a team and who 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 head into the 2026 race and we look forward to him becoming an integral part of our team.”
