Zhou Guanyu: 2024 won’t be my last year in F1

Facing an intricate 2024 Formula 1 driver market, Zhou Guanyu says he is “very, very calm” and under no pressure, insisting this season won’t be his last.

With as many as seven teams having seats open for the 2025 campaign, Zhou, as the only Chinese driver to have contested an F1 race, is working with his management team to find a team where he can develop long-term.

The driver market was ignited earlier this year when Lewis Hamilton made his bombshell announcement about potentially joining Ferrari. Since then, Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, triggered further movement by signing Nico Hülkenberg in early May.

Zhou’s current Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas will also see his contract with the team expire at the end of this season. While the experienced Finn is relaxed about his future after 12 years in the sport, the Chinese rookie, now in his third season, is similarly confident about what lies ahead.

“It’s different (from Bottas’ situation). I would say I’m still very, very calm about the situation. I don’t feel any pressure, and I don’t feel like it’s going to be my last year,” Zhou said.

“For me, it’s very clear that I’m still trying to perform well on track. A bit disappointed, especially with the qualifying this season, so I want to improve there. I have options, seeing what teams are available, because I don’t think there’s only one team to choose from. I think there are a few teams that people could choose. These things take time to decide, not something short term, so it needs more time to sort out.”

In the current landscape, Carlos Sainz, who is unlikely to join Ferrari, is seen as a key player in the market, with the Spaniard believed to have received an offer from Sauber/Audi but yet to make a final decision while waiting to see if opportunities arise at Red Bull or Mercedes.

Zhou has had his seat confirmed as early as September in the past two seasons, and the Chinese driver is clear that he doesn’t want to be the last to settle his future this time around.

“This year, it’s very clear that I don’t want to be the one waiting for the last seat to be confirmed, obviously the previous years were different,” Zhou said ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. “This year, I want to try to be the one making decisions, making things happen quicker than others. Obviously, with how this year looks, everyone wants to have different options, but I’m still looking at which team is the best fit for me. But if you wait too long, it might be too late.”

Bottas recently visited his former team Williams, jokingly saying he was just there to borrow coffee beans. However, insiders believe the experienced Mercedes ex-driver, with 10 grand prix wins to his name, is a strong candidate for Williams should Logan Sargent struggle to retain his seat.

When asked if he would follow Bottas’ lead and engage in face-to-face talks with other teams, Zhou replied, “It’s very clear for me that I’m not getting involved with other teams.”

“My focus on track is to do the job here, and everything else is handled by my manager. We communicate over the weekends, after the weekends, during the breaks, to see where is the best place for me, where I want to go in the future. We’re working on it, things are moving, but it’s still too early for any final confirmation.”