Cadillac Teases Zhou Guanyu Link-Up With Cryptic F1 2026 Post

Rumours linking Zhou Guanyu to Cadillac’s F1 project for 2026 have exploded after the American team dropped a cryptic teaser on social media.

Zhou, who made history as China’s first Formula 1 driver with Sauber in 2022, raced in 68 Grands Prix before parting ways with the Swiss outfit at the end of the 2024 season.

The 26-year-old spent 2025 on Ferrari’s books as a reserve driver, backing up Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. But earlier this week, Ferrari and Zhou confirmed they would part company ahead of the 2026 campaign, immediately fuelling speculation about his next move.

Attention quickly turned to Cadillac, where Zhou has a strong connection. Team principal Graeme Lowdon also serves as his manager, and the outfit is actively searching

for an experienced reserve driver as it prepares for its debut season.

See it?

Cadillac has dropped a big clue that Zhou Guanyu will be its 2026 reserve driver.https://t.co/pQRVATmm4S pic.twitter.com/Xz1d03owFj

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) January 4, 2026

Those rumours intensified when Cadillac posted a close-up image of a cat’s eye featuring the number 24 — Zhou’s race number during his Sauber stint — alongside the Cadillac logo. The post, stamped with January 5, 2026, carried the caption: “Reflections of the future.”

Cadillac has already confirmed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its first-ever F1 race drivers, with IndyCar star Colton Herta named as a third driver. However, with Herta still short of an F1 superlicence, the team needs a driver with recent Grand Prix experience to fill its reserve role.

That makes Zhou a natural fit. A move would also see him reunite with Bottas, his former Sauber teammate, at F1’s newest team.

Having completed multiple Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) runs with Ferrari last year, Zhou has been clear about his ambition: he wants back on the Formula 1 grid.