For all the focus on Red Bull’s driver line-up for 2025 (especially in relation to Colapinto) there are other contact talks taking place behind the scenes. Zhou Guanyu will be busy over the coming weeks, as he negotiates with several teams for a reserve role.
Zhou: Many teams have shown interest
Weeks prior to Sauber’s Bortoleto announcement, Zhou Guanyu spoke candidly about his plan B to stay in F1.
With a full-time seat now off the cards, the 25-year-old is working to become a reserve driver.
Transitioning into this role will allow Zhou to stay active in the paddock and work on simulator activities.
As demonstrated by Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto this year, having links to an F1 team can lead to surprise substitute appearances.
There is also the possibility of new seats becoming available in 2026 – which is a scenario Zhou wants to be ready for.
Multiple teams showing interest
Speaking to the media in Vegas, the Chinese driver explained his options:
“There’s a lot of discussions about the future already,” he outlined.
“The absolute priority is to try and stay in Formula 1, and try and see what’s the best option – the best teams for me to take the reserve role.
“But nothing is decided because there is a lot of interest from different teams.
“For me there is no rush on that. I need to see exactly what’s the plan, where I will be in the situation of the team.
“Hopefully we get some good news soon, but it won’t be very shortly.
“When this happened [Bortoleto’s announcement] I already was discussing with a few teams.
“But when this was finally announced, a few more teams approached us. Which is quite good news, there’s more options for me to take on board – to make sure I pick the right one.”
Zhou has several options to chose from
Before joining Sauber for the 2022 season, Zhou was a member of the Alpine academy.
He was even briefly suggested as a potential replacement for Ocon in 2025 – until Jack Doohan was officially signed.
Regardless, Zhou’s connections with the French team are notable.
The 25-year-old also has ties with Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, given that Vasseur signed him to Sauber in 2022.
Indeed, reports suggest that he is under consideration to become the Scuderia’s reserve next driver.
In combination with Zhou’s latest comments, there is reason to believe Zhou Guanyu will be a familiar face next season.
The question is about which team he agrees to sign with.
