[Saba Sports News] Chinese F1 driver Zhou Guanyu will make his track debut for Cadillac F1 Team by driving the team’s MAC-26 car in Pirelli tyre tests right after the conclusion of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in May.
Led by Pirelli, the test aims to gather matching data between new-season tyre compounds including C2 to C4 and racing cars, so as to optimize subsequent race strategies.
It serves as a valuable on-track practice opportunity for Zhou Guanyu. As a reserve driver of Cadillac, he has spent months on simulator training and attended all Grand Prix events of the current season with the team. Upon joining the team, Zhou made it clear that he turned down offers from other racing series because he remains determined to secure a full-time F1 race seat again. Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Cadillac F1 Team, publicly promised when Zhou signed on that he would get the race drive without hesitation once any vacancy arises among official drivers.
In my opinion, given that Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have both signed long-term contracts, Zhou Guanyu stands little chance of being promoted to a full-time race driver at Cadillac for the time being. Even so, this tyre test is a crucial chance for him to prove his strength to the entire F1 paddock.