Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Aston Martin has signed 17-year-old Zhenrui Chi to its Driver Academy, giving Formula 1’s talent ladder a new Chinese prospect after Zhou Guanyu’s exit left the current grid without a driver from China.
The Silverstone team described Chi as “one of China’s most promising drivers” and said his arrival followed a comprehensive selection process. That began with an evaluation day at Mugello and continued through Aston Martin’s assessment of his 2025 junior campaign.
That season proved enough to earn a long-term place in the program. Chi raced for Prema Racing in Italian F4, took a victory at Monza, added three other podiums and finished fifth in the championship. Aston Martin said the campaign showed both pace and consistency in one of junior racing’s most competitive categories.
The move also comes at a notable moment for Chinese representation around Formula 1. Zhou was dropped by Sauber at the end of 2024 after three seasons and 68 grands prix, then moved into reserve-driver roles with Ferrari in 2025 and Cadillac this year.
Chi will now step up to Formula Regional in 2026 in an Aston Martin-liveried car, while joining a tailored development program built around his progression. Aston Martin said that support will include race-craft mentorship from experienced team personnel, work at the AMR Technology Campus, physical conditioning, and media and communications training.
Chi called the deal “a huge honour” and said it was both a responsibility and an opportunity. He said the backing of “such an iconic team, with all its experience and expertise,” gave him confidence for the next stage of his career, while adding that he knew he still had to prove he deserved the opportunity.
Nuno Pinto, racing director of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team Driver Academy, said the team was impressed as soon as it saw Chi at Mugello. Pinto said Aston Martin then tracked his progress through the rest of 2025, where he showed “not only pace but also strong consistency” in Italian F4.
Pinto described the deal as “a long-term partnership,” underlining that Aston Martin sees Chi not as a short-term signing but as a development project with a clear route through the junior ranks.