It is now official: these two Formula 1 drivers will not be renewed by their team for the 2025 world championship season.
It's official, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will no longer be at the wheel of Sauber at the end of the 2024 F1 season. After three years of collaboration, the Swiss team announced their departure, marking a turning point in its composition for next season.
The experienced Finn and third-year Chinese driver were initially candidates to continue alongside Nico Hülkenberg for the 2025 F1 season. However, Mattia Binotto, the new boss of Sauber Motorsport, is exploring other options to strengthen the team, among which include names like Formula 2 title contender Mick Schumacher and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Declining results for the Bottas-Zhou duo
Since their joint arrival in 2022, Bottas, a defector from Mercedes, and Zhou, then a F1 debutant, have failed to significantly improve the team's performance. This season, the single-seater renamed Stake, after two years under the name Alfa Romeo, has yet to score any points.
Bottas, for his part, is heading into his first season without points since the start of his F1 career in 2013. With the majority of seats for 2025 already filled, options are becoming rare for both drivers.
Neither driver seems eligible for the few remaining places, particularly within the Red Bull team. However, rumors raise the possibility of Bottas returning to Mercedes as a third driver. As for Zhou, his future remains unclear.
Bottas: “A difficult situation to accept”
For Bottas, it will be the first time in more than ten years that he finds himself without a steering wheel to start a season. He admits the difficulty of the situation: “This is a difficult situation for everyone. Despite the in-depth discussions over the past few weeks, it is clear that the necessary conditions to grow this project together were not met.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the team: “These years spent with them have been marked by an incredible adventure, full of challenges and unforgettable moments. Even if I move on, a part of me will always remain with this team.”
Zhou: “Leaving in style”
For his part, Zhou said he was grateful to have been able to be the first Chinese driver in F1 and hopes to end the season with flying colors: “I will leave the team at the end of the season, but I am fully determined to finish on a high. Being in F1 as a rookie is not easy, and the team has allowed me to grow over these three years.”
The Chinese driver particularly remembers his time in China, a highlight of his season, and says he is ready for the future: “I am still full of energy and determined to progress.”
The 2024 season therefore ends with a major change for the Sauber team, which begins a new era in anticipation of the next season. The Swiss team should soon announce the name of who will support Nico Hülkenberg in 2025.
