The Chinese Formula 1 driver has now announced that he will return to Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season as a reserve driver.

Ferrari has history of looking to recent F1 drivers to support its race team line-up, having worked with Giovinazzi — the driver Zhou replaced at Sauber in 2022 — in recent years. The team announced last year that one of its reserves, Robert Shwartzman, would not be returning in 2025 after his move into IndyCar.

Zhou Guanyu lost his seat at Sauber following the 2024 Formula 1 season, as the team added Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto as their drivers for the 2025 season and beyond. But the Chinese driver will still be in the paddock this upcoming season.

Ferrari appointed Zhou Guanyu as a Formula One reserve driver on Wednesday after the Chinese lost his race seat with Swiss-based Sauber.

Here’s a wild headline we published today : F1 teenager Kimi Antonelli just got his driver’s license — right on time to replace Lewis Hamilton. You read that right. Antonelli didn’t even have a road license when he was picked as the successor to one of F1’s greatest drivers last fall. Have I ever mentioned that this is a silly sport?

The 25-year-old will split the role of supporting Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with Italian Antonio Giovinazzi.

The first Chinese driver in Formula 1 is heading back to Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 season.

Zhou Guanyu confirmed as Ferrari driver for 2025 F1 season - Ferrari have added to their ranks ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s debut in scarlet red in Australia next month

China's first F1 driver raced for 3 seasons with Sauber, starting 68 races and scoring 16 points with 2 fastest laps. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Guanyu will share his reserve driver duties with Antonio Giovinazzi at Ferrari, who are looking to build on their second-place finish in the constructors' championship last year