Story byMotorsport photoLydia MeeTue, January 6, 2026 at 11:31 AM UTC·4 min readZhou Guanyu has described his move to Cadillac F1 as a reserve driver in 2026 as "rejoining family", ruining with his former Sauber team-mate Valtteri Bottas and his long-time manager Graeme Lowdon. It was confirmed on 5 January that the Chinese driver had signed with the American outfit for 2026 after a year-long stint in the same role at Ferrari in 2025. Zhou made his F1 debut in 2022 with Alfa Romeo/Sauber alongside Bottas, where he drove with the Finnish driver for three years. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We spoke a lot," Zhou said about Bottas during an interview with F1. com. "We spent a lot of time [together], even when we were in different teams over the course of last year, so the three years I spent [in F1 were] really together with Valtteri."Zhou was thought to be in contention for a full-time seat at Cadillac, which is set for its debut in 2026 as F1's 11th team, due to his links with Lowdon.