The Renault Formula 1 team has promoted Guanyu Zhou to the tole of test driver for the upcoming 2020🎃 sea⛎son.

Zhou combined his former role as Renault deve❀lopment driver alongside a campaign in Formula 2 in 2019, with the Chinese racer finishing the year as the h𓆉ighest-placed rookie in seventh.

While he was not victorious, Zhou claimed one pole position and five podium finishes across the season for the UNI-V💞irtuosi squad, who he will remain with once more in 2020.

His promotion comes af👍ter former test and reserve driver Jack Ait🎶ken announced his departure to take up a similar role with Williams.

“I’m looking forward to becominꦆg the team’s test driver,” Zhou said.

“It’s another ste💙p up from being development driver in 2019 where I did a lot of simulator work and some R.S.17 tests. The feedback and experience in a Formula 1 car is getting better and the team is happy with my progress and input so far.

“They’ve given me a lot of tru꧃st and 🌄I also trust them, so that relationship works very well,” he added.

“This year I have an even better op🧜portunity, meaning working harder than before, getting as much information as possible for driving a Formula 1 car and, at the same time, improving the areas the team needs to work on to help them get better in the future.”

The news, which was announced during Renault’s 2020 launch event in Paris on Wednesday, has moved Zhou one step closer to becoming F1’s first-꧂ever Chinese😼 driver.

In his new role, Zhou will support team regulars Dan♋iel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon throughout 2020.