Zhou Guanyu has revealed that he received approaches from numerous Formula 1 teams prior to agreeing a deal to become a Ferrari reserve driver for the 2025 season.
Having lost his permanent race drive with Sauber at the end of last season, Zhou has reunited with Ferrari, the team he was tied to between 2014 and 2018 when he was a member of its driver academy, in a reserve role that he will split with Antonio Giovinazzi.
Sauber snapping up Nico Hulkenberg last April ensured that either Zhou or ex-team-mate Valtteri Bottas would be released, but the Audi-owned squad opted to drop both to sign Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortolero to complete a revamped line-up at the team.
However, Zhou has not given up hope on returning to the grid once new regulations are introduced in 2026, and he has held talks with the Cadillac operation that has an agreement in principle to enter F1 as an 11th team next season with a Ferrari powertrain.
The Chinese driver had divulged as the past campaign drew to a close that Ferrari had registered an interest in his services amid Giovinazzi’s involvement in the marque’s World Endurance Championship venture and Oliver Bearman being loaned to Haas to race with the team in F1 in the upcoming season.
But Ferrari wasn’t alone in sounding out his availability as Zhou has disclosed there were several other parties who contacted him and his entourage about a potential 2025 role.
Asked prior to the news in Las Vegas in November whether he had received approaches from teams, Zhou told Motorsport Week in an exclusive interview: “Yeah, we have. When I was talking about my final seat position with this team, and then, of course, we knew something was happening, or the chance was getting lower, and then we were already starting to organise with a few other teams.
“Then when the announcement was published, there were a few more teams that approached us, which is nice, because it gives me more opportunities to be understanding, take my time, not rush a lot, because I want to make sure I pick the right project that I can be willing to take, giving my support, also trying to take the opportunities when they come to be a race driver.
“So, yeah, there’s a lot of teams that we’re talking to, but I don’t think in the short term it will be making a decision, because I think I’m pretty valid for the reserve role for a lot of teams in both ways, so I’m just making sure I go more deeply into the conversation, and to be in a happy place I want to be, and then we go from there onwards.”
Zhou had active role in talks over next move
Zhou documented how he was an active participant in developments related to his career as he strived to ensure that he ended up in the most suitable environment.
“I’m involved, because especially when you’re in a reserve role, it’s not like, at this stage, it’s not like you have one team, two teams, you only can be raising the race seat,” he explained. “It’s several options, and everything have their good things, have their different side of things that they have, or they can give to you, or they can’t.
“So, yeah, in the end it’s a discussion between myself, my family, and also my manager [Graeme Lowdon], because it’s good that my manager keeps updating me and giving me the full support I want to have, because in the end I want to be in a place I’m happy with.
“I don’t want to be dragged into a place that I don’t want to be willing to take my potential to it. I want to be making sure I’m in a project I’m fully reliant on them, and then they give me their trust, their opportunities when it comes.”
Ferrari return will create ‘stronger’ Zhou
Alongside going to a destination that would enhance his prospects of mounting an F1 comeback, Zhou expressed that he chose to cut ties with Sauber as he sensed that going elsewhere would be better for his development.
At the moment, I was most feeling starting a new chapter, which is, like I published, I will be leaving the team at the end of the year,” he added. “But, yeah, in another way, I don’t have nothing against the team. I still really enjoy the three years I had.
“Obviously a little bit less this year with the results we’re not able to show, but it’s the team giving me the chances in F1.
“I think for me the priority now is trying to do everything I have for the last three races and then to start a brand new chapter, because I think sometimes you need to switch around a little bit just to making sure that you can be a stronger version of yourself.”
Zhou placing ‘a limit’ on time in reserve F1 role
Speaking last October, Zhou insisted that he harboured no desire to remain in a reserve role long-term should a seat not open up, citing Mick Schumacher’s recent situation as one that he wishes to avoid encountering.
Schumacher, having lost his seat at Haas, spent the past two seasons as a reserve driver at Mercedes hoping that an F1 reprieve would materialise. But with that not transpiring, the German has since departed Mercedes, which has signed Zhou’s ex-Sauber team-mate Bottas to replace him.
Asked whether his comment about Schumacher indicated that getting his next move right was even more imperative, Zhou responded: “Obviously, it’s nothing against Mick, but if I’m a reserve driver like he was doing, I think I have a limit of years.
“I don’t want to say it, but it’s not like a long term, trying to always wait, because every time you wait, the longer you wait, the less hopes you have.
“So I want to be making sure that I try to have a right chapter, that I’m starting my new journey next year, and then making sure the team I’m with give me the absolute priority when there’s a chance for a seat, or something happens, then I can take the chance.
“Then yeah, if not, for a few amount of times, and then I’m thinking to exit, going somewhere else, because obviously, clearly, I have interest in other motorsports, not just Formula 1.
“But that’s not the priority for now at the moment, and at this moment, still at this age, I want to be competing in this best championship in the world, and everybody would love to be here, so that’s what I’m here for.
“But I don’t want to be forever sitting around on the I would say, bench, and then just watching TV, because we love racing, so at some stage, I need to go somewhere that I’m fighting for victory.”
READ MORE – Zhou Guanyu lands Ferrari return in F1 reserve driver role
