Newest Cadillac F1 driver explains 'mission target' attraction

Zhou Guanyu has explained what "attracted" him to the Cadillac F1 project after signing on the dotted line with the fledgling American outfit.

The Chinese driver joins F1's newest team for the 2026 season as its test and reserve driver, backing up Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

That comes after a year on the sidelines with Ferrari, having lost his drive at Stake — along with Bottas — at the end of the 2024 campaign.

The General Motors-backed operation's first team principal is Graeme Lowdon, who is also Zhou's long-term manager. Knowing some of the key players is something that drew him to the team, but it is not the only reason.

"Firstly, I'm really excited for this new project," the 26-year-old, who raced for Alfa Romeo-Sauber/Stake between 2022 and 2024, told F1.com.

"The main thing is that with this new team, I know, for example, Graeme, Valtteri and also a lot of engineers that work in the team and, over the course of this year, I’ve seen how the team was setting up, and I really felt the future is bright.

"They're not setting up a team just to be on the grid – they're setting up a team trying to compete. They have a mission target, to try to achieve over the years, and to bring Cadillac to a top midfield team and so on onwards, so that's what really attracted me."

Zhou can easily identify the mutual benefit for both parties. He explained that whilst it is the best avenue back to a full-time race seat for him, he is also able to bring more experience than others in the third driver role.

"On the other side, I think the team [saw] what I was able to do over the course of last year and what my role was, and I think it can really benefit both sides," he stated.

"So to be the team's only reserve driver, I feel like this is the best opportunity for me in order to be back behind the wheel, and at the same time I think what I am capable of bringing [in terms of] information and, together with two very experienced drivers, it just brings the team forward.

"This year is a massive rule change, so all this knowledge, experience we’ve had over the years, this can be a help if you're comparing to a less experienced driver."