Ferrari have made changes to their driver plans ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari have confirmed a driver change ahead of the 2026 season (Image: Getty)

Ferrari have confirmed the departure of Zhou Guanyu as their reserve driver. The Chinese racer had been backup to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the 2026 campaign, but will no longer continue to serve in the role as Ferrari announced on Friday morning that they have parted ways.

“Grateful for Zhou Guanyu’s commitment and contribution as Ferrari Reserve Driver this season! Wishing him all the best ahead,” the team wrote on social media via its official accounts. Zhou was in the role for just one year, hired as a backup racer for the 2025 season after he lost his place on the grid after three years driving for Sauber.

He shared reserve duties last year with Antonio Giovinazzi, covering the Italian whenever an F1 race weekend clashed with a World Endurance Championship event. Giovinazzi, also a former Sauber F1 driver, races for Ferrari in WEC and won the title along team-mates Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado.

Whenever both were available, it was clear that Giovinazzi was the preferred candidate to step in to race in F1 if needed over Zhou. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, when Leclerc missed media day through illness and his participation in the race weekend was in doubt, it was confirmed to Express Sport that Giovinazzi was the one on standby despite Zhou also being present at Imola.

Zhou Guanyu was Ferrari’s reserve driver in 2025 (Image: Getty)

As well as being useful cover for whenever Giovinazzi was not available, Zhou’s presence was also lucrative to Ferrari from a financial standpoint. The 26-year-old has significant backing from sponsors in his homeland, where he is a huge celebrity thanks to his status as China’s first and, so far, only F1 driver in history.

What is next for Zhou is unclear, though he hinted in a post of his own on Instagram that he might look to remain in the F1 paddock in another role if he can. The Chinese driver wrote: “Really appreciated all the trust throughout the season. See you guys around in 2026.”

As for Ferrari, the big question mark around their drivers heading into the new campaign is what the future holds for seven-time world champion Hamilton. The Brit, who turns 41 next week, endured a wretched first year in red as his dream switch to the Scuderia turned into a nightmare and he will be desperate to turn his situation around in the new season.

If he fails to do so, it could be the veteran’s last on the F1 grid. It is understood that Hamilton has a contract clause which allows him to unilaterally extend his stay into 2027, though it seems unlikely that he would choose to do that if there is only more misery to come in his quest for an eighth F1 drivers’ title.