Ferrari handed F1 driver switch warning as star tipped for rival move

chinese gp, lewis hamilton, zhou guanyu, fred vasseur, ferrari, christian horner, zak brown — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ferrari handed F1 driver switch warning as star tipped for rival move

The Scuderia haven't had a dream start to their 2025 F1 campaign

Chris Deeley

Sunday 27 April 2025 10:56

Ferrari have been sent a stark warning about the future of one of their drivers, with a Formula 1 race winner tipping him for a move to a rival team.

Zhou Guanyu lost his spot on the grid with Sauber at the end of last season, and joined the Scuderia as their reserve driver instead behind Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

The Chinese racer has now been backed for a move to incoming team Cadillac for the 2026 season, with Juan Pablo Montoya saying he would lay money down that the ex-Sauber man would be driving for the American team.

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The former Williams star backed Zhou to pair up with Sergio Perez at the team, bringing his knowledge of the Ferrari engine – which Cadillac will use until GM enter the sport with their own power unit in 2029 – to the new outfit.

Montoya: Herta move to F1 would screw with his head

Montoya told Instant Casino: "I think Sergio Perez would be a great fit for Cadillac, and I bet you money the next guy might be Zhou Guanyu.

"They would be a perfect fit. Guanyu is the Ferrari reserve. So, he'll be driving, developing and working.

"He'll know everything about Ferrari, and they're going with a Ferrari engine. So, if you look at it from that point of view, it would make sense. People say Cadillac should get an American. I think it would be crazy if Colton Herta decided to come to F1.

"I don't think it would be as easy as he thinks. For speed, I think Herta has enough speed and be good enough speed-wise to do it. But understanding going from IndyCar to this is such a different change.

"The shock alone of moving to Europe and a different culture would be so big that I think it would screw with his head. If he did do it, the chances of surviving and prospering in it would be very slim."

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Sergio Perez Cadillac Sauber