The F1 "Silly Season" has delivered a major shock as Zhou Guanyu leaves the prestige of Maranello for a fresh start with Cadillac. The American brand is making a massive push into Formula 1, and securing a driver with Zhou’s marketing appeal and technical feedback is seen as a major coup.

Zhou’s move is also a strategic one for F1 as a whole, as it maintains a strong Chinese presence on the grid while expanding the sport’s footprint in the United States. Cadillac has promised an aggressive development curve, aiming to be competitive within their first two years.

While leaving Ferrari is always a risk, Zhou stated that the opportunity to lead a new project was too good to pass up. Fans are now waiting to see who Ferrari will choose to fill the vacant seat, with several high-profile names currently in the final year of their contracts.