P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Axed F1 star spotted behind wheel of Ferrari in private test
An axed F1 star was seen conducting a private test with Ferrari to address their performance issues. Ferrari is currently second in the constructors’ championship, trailing McLaren by a substantial 238 points. They utilized their Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program during the F1 break to gather essential data for the rest of the season and the upcoming 2026 rule changes. Zhou Guanyu, a former Sauber driver, was spotted testing Ferrari’s SF-23 car from 2023 as he aims for a potential comeback to the sport. Guanyu, now Ferrari’s test and reserve driver, may eye one of the new 2026 grid spots due to Cadillac’s entry, despite being let go by Sauber in 2024. The TPC program offers teams valuable opportunities for car development and sidelined drivers to regain F1 experience, with a limit of 20 testing days per year. Zhou’s return to Ferrari, where he once belonged to the young driver program, has him learning from top talents like Hamilton and Leclerc.
