Ferrari F1 vacancy opens as driver exit announced

Zhou Guanyu, copywright: @ZhouGuanyu24 — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari F1 vacancy opens as driver exit announced

Zhou Guanyu was Ferrari's reserve driver in 2025

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Saturday 3 January 2026 19:00

Ferrari F1 team have announced the exit of Zhou Guanyu, who had been serving as the team's reserve driver during the 2025 season.

Zhou was signed at the same time as Lewis Hamilton, and he, Arthur Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco have been splitting reserve driver duties between them since then.

It is unclear who will step up to be the team's reserve driver, with Zhou the man on standby last season should either Hamilton or Charles Leclerc not be fit for a particular race weekend, as well as helping to develop the SF-25 in the simulator.

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GPFans have contacted Ferrari for clarity on who will be likely to step up and take Zhou's role next season.

Zhou Guanyu leaves Ferrari

The team confirmed the news of Zhou's departure in two social media posts, with the first one simply being a statement thanking the Chinese racer for his service.

"Really appreciated all the trust throughout the season," he said. "See you guys around in 2026."

F1 Ferrari Zhou Guanyu