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, assuring that this season won’t be his last.

With as many as seven teams currently having seats open for the 2025 season, 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 in the 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, shook things up by signing Nico Hülkenberg in early May.

Zhou’s current Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas will also see his contract expire at the end of this season. While the experienced Finn is quite relaxed about his future, Zhou, entering his third season, is equally optimistic about his prospects.

“It’s a different situation. I would say I’m still very, very calm about it. I don’t feel the pressure, and I don’t feel like this will be my last year,” Zhou said.

“For me, it’s very clear that I’m still trying to perform well on track. I’m a bit frustrated, especially with the qualifying this season, so I want to improve on that. I still have options, looking at what teams are available, because I don’t think there’s only one team to choose from. I think there are a few teams where people could go. These things don’t get decided overnight; it takes more time to sort out.”

In the current landscape, Carlos Sainz, who appears out of the running for a Ferrari seat next year, is seen as a key player in the market, with most believing he has received an offer from Sauber/Audi but is holding off for potential opportunities at Red Bull or Mercedes.

Zhou has had his seat confirmed as early as September in the past two seasons, and he is clear that he doesn’t want to be the last driver to finalize his plans this year.

“This year, it’s very clear that I don’t want to be the guy waiting for the last seat, which was different in previous years,” Zhou said ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. “This year, I want to try and be the one making decisions, making things happen a bit quicker than others. Obviously, from this year’s situation, everyone wants to have different options, but I’m still looking at which team would be the best fit. But if you wait too long, it might be too late.”

Bottas recently paid a visit to his former team, Williams, during the Imola weekend, jokingly claiming he was just there to borrow coffee beans. However, with Logan Sargent’s seat looking increasingly uncertain, the experienced Mercedes ex-driver, who has ten grand prix victories to his name, is tipped as a strong candidate for Williams next season.

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

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