Ferrari’s third driver for the 2025 System 1 season, Zhou Guanyu, has shared insights about his expertise with the Maranello workforce and revealed his targets for the long run. After three years at Sauber alongside Valtteri Bottas, Zhou joined Ferrari as a reserve driver in 2025 — a return to acquainted territory, since he was a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy between 2014 and 2018.
Earlier this season, following the affirmation that an eleventh workforce will be part of the System 1 grid in 2026, Zhou Guanyu was initially seen as one of many essential candidates for a seat on the new Cadillac workforce. Nevertheless, the American outfit in the end opted for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas to steer its debut marketing campaign.
Waiting for the long run
In an unique interview with PlanetF1.com, Zhou Guanyu defined the significance of his present position at Ferrari, each for the workforce’s growth and for his personal private progress. Serving as a reserve driver, he mentioned, has helped him strengthen a number of key features of his efficiency and understanding of the game.
“I believe it’s essential to work with totally different individuals and totally different groups to allow them to perceive your talents,” Zhou mentioned. “After I got here right here [to Ferrari], many individuals didn’t actually know the form of driver I used to be. However the engineers have been fairly optimistic about all of the suggestions and knowledge evaluation I’ve been in a position to present. That’s one thing that makes me proud.”
For Zhou, the work at Ferrari has been a wonderful alternative, however he additionally admits that his long-term objective stays to return to the grid as a full-time System 1 driver. “I believe it’s essential to remain within the paddock and let extra individuals perceive the form of driver you might be,” he continued. “Typically while you stick with the identical workforce for 3 years after coming straight from System 2, solely the individuals you’re employed with actually get to know you. However to have an enormous alternative, you want the entire paddock to know your worth.”
Purpose: a return to the F1 grid
The Chinese language driver made it clear that his ambition is to return to racing within the close to future. “That’s why I’m right here. I really feel there are nonetheless alternatives. We’re speaking to individuals and attempting to know what potentialities are on the market. I’m targeted on my work with Ferrari, however I additionally need others to know that the door is at all times open after they want me.”
For Zhou Guanyu, 2026 — with the introduction of recent technical rules and the uncertainty they bring about — might symbolize the proper alternative to make his return to a System 1 race seat. Regardless of maintaining a tally of the long run, the Ferrari reserve driver mentioned he’s happy along with his present scenario: “In the meanwhile, I’m pleased with the place I’m. After all, I’d like to be again on the grid subsequent 12 months. But when that doesn’t occur, I’ll merely wait one other 12 months and see what comes subsequent.”
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