MARANELLO, Italy (AP) — The first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Zhou Guanyu, is heading back to Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 season.
Zhou doesn't have a race seat for 2025 after leaving Sauber at the end of last year but could step in if Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton can't race.
The 25-year-old Zhou first raced in F1 in 2022 for what was then the Alfa Romeo team, before it reverted back to the Sauber name. He has a best finish of eighth and has strong commercial and sponsorship backing in China. He was a Ferrari academy driver earlier in his career.
“It's a great honor to be one of the reserve drivers that can help really develop the team,” Zhou said. “It's amazing to be coming back home to where it all started.”
Zhou is one of two reserves for Ferrari alongside another ex-Sauber driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, who last raced in F1 in 2021 and is a long-time reserve who has yet to drive for the team.
When Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. was unable to race because of appendicitis at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year, the team opted instead to promote then-Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman.
A strong seventh-place finish at an unfamiliar circuit helped Bearman build momentum and secure a full-time F1 drive for 2025 with Haas.
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The Associated Press
