Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has confirmed that reserve driver Guanyu Zhou will complete his first on-track running for the American Formula 1 project in the weeks following the Spanish Grand Prix.
Zhou, who joined Cadillac ahead of the 2026 season after spending last year as a reserve driver for Ferrari, is expected to participate in Pirelli tyre testing in Barcelona. This will be Zhou’s first time driving the team’s MAC-26 car in public since he signed with the new Formula 1 entrant.
During a media session, Lowdon revealed the plans and made it clear that he retains full confidence in Zhou’s ability to step into a race seat if required during the season.
Zhou is finally set to receive his first Cadillac track opportunity
After several months of working behind the scenes on the simulator programme and attending race weekends in a reserve capacity, Zhou is now set to gain valuable track mileage with Cadillac.
The tyre test following the Spanish Grand Prix is expected to provide an important opportunity for the team to evaluate Zhou’s integration with the car and the wider engineering group, away from the spotlight of a race weekend.
Despite Zhou’s reduced on-track exposure since losing his full-time Formula 1 seat at the end of 2024, Lowdon suggested he has no concerns about his readiness.
“He has spent a lot of time working on the simulator and is, of course, present at every Grand Prix,” Lowdon explained.
“I have said from the beginning that I would have no qualms about putting him in the car if one of our two regular drivers had problems.” as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The strong relationship between Zhou and Lowdon continues
Zhou’s move to Cadillac was viewed by many in the paddock as a natural fit, given his long-standing relationship with Lowdon. The pair previously worked closely together as part of Zhou’s management structure.
The 26-year-old was initially linked with a race seat when Cadillac finalised its plans to enter Formula 1. However, the team eventually opted for experience, signing Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as its full-time driver pairing for the current campaign.
This left Zhou in a reserve and development role, but Cadillac clearly still values his technical feedback and familiarity with modern Formula 1 machinery.
Lowdon also indicated that the upcoming Barcelona test will provide a useful benchmark for both the driver and the team.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to see how he performs in this test. I’m sure he’ll do very well,” he added.
Zhou is rebuilding his Formula 1 career after losing his race seat
He raced full-time in Formula 1 between 2022 and 2024, initially making history as China’s first full-time driver in the sport. During his time on the grid, he competed alongside Bottas at Sauber, prior to the team’s transition towards Audi’s future works project.
Despite several competitive performances, Zhou was unable to secure a seat for 2025 and instead accepted a reserve role with Scuderia Ferrari. His move to Cadillac for 2026 brings him closer to a potential return to the grid, especially given the uncertainty that often surrounds new Formula 1 projects in their early years.
While the Barcelona tyre test may not attract significant television coverage, it is a crucial step for Zhou as he strives to stay in the running for future racing opportunities in the sport.
Meanwhile, for Cadillac, the session will offer another opportunity to speed up preparations as the ambitious American-backed operation continues to build towards becoming a dominant force in Formula 1.
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