After being part of the Ferrari then Renault / Alpine young driver academies, Guanyu Zhou had his first laps in Formula 1 in 2021, aboard the A521, for a Free Practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix . A year later, since the French team already fielded two drivers for the 2022 season, the Chinese turned to Alfa Romeo-Sauber alongside Valtteri Bottas and signed an initial three-year contract. His arrival within the Italian-Swiss team made him the first Formula 1 driver to come from China. “I left a legacy just by being a Chinese driver in Formula 1, he recalled at the end of the 2024 season. If I don't come back, I don't think there will be another one in the next ten years. »
Visibly aware of the symbol it represents for Chinese youth who dream of motorsport, number 24 seems proud: “I feel very honored to be the first, but also to become a source of inspiration for young people. It's a lot of pressure, although it's a great honour. » However, this label is not the only one that Guanyu Zhou wishes to highlight: “I want people to think that even though China is not prioritized in this sport, I can still participate and be very good. » Difficult for the Chinese to show it given the performances of the different models he had the opportunity to pilot…
One last season “to forget” for Zhou
While Sauber has had a makeover in 2024, dropping the burgundy and white of Alfa Romeo for the fluorescent green of sponsor KICK – marking a step towards the transition to Audi planned for 2026 – and despite a completely redesigned single-seater, the The 2024 season has proven to be catastrophic for the Swiss team. The brand's bet did not bear fruit while “Everything was going well at first. » After pitstop problems followed a “long period during which we had the slowest car on the grid”notes Guanyu Zhou before confiding that it had “makes you suffer and lose hope for the future. »
Despite the efforts of the Chinese driver and his teammate Valtteri Bottas, the two ex-teammates will not be part of the team in 2025 since they are replaced by Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, who is leaving Haas. For the 25-year-old pilot, 2024 is « a season to forget. I wanted to show what I was capable of, I wanted to leave F1 in the best way possible – not just for myself, but also for those who follow me. »
“I want to come back”
However, Guanyu Zhou is not done with Formula 1: “I want to come back. That's what I always had in mindhe announces. Before the points, I had not been able to show my potential to the maximum. This year was very intense mentally and made me grow. » Without a seat for 2025, the former teammate of Valterri Bottas remains confident. Even if he doesn't know where he's going to go, the Chinese “still working on the future. » The pilot adopts a strategy according to which it is necessary “be available”especially with “ so many rookies on the grid, everything remains possible. I am ready to seize any opportunity. »
READ ALSO > Zhou will remain without a steering wheel in 2025… to remain available for 2026
