He had hoped for a long time, but this second Sauber seat to accompany Nico Hülkenberg in 2025 ultimately went to young Gabriel Bortoleto, 2024 Formula 2 champion. Thus, Guanyu Zhou found himself with nothing. Not even with a reserve position, at least for the moment, at Hinwil where he has spent the last three seasons.
So what will happen to its future? One thing is certain, he will not start in F1 next year. The last place still in play, at Red Bull, should probably go to Liam Lawson, thus allowing the Frenchman Isack Hadjar to be promoted to Racing Bulls while putting a definitive end to the Chinese’s hopes of being a starter in 2025, even if the door to the Austrian universe was never really open to him.
“A lot going on behind the scenes”
In the meantime, his name was cited at the heart of several rumors in the paddock at the end of the season. It was once said that Formula E was interested in him while the championship’s CEO, Jeff Dodds, admitted in the summer that having a Chinese driver in the discipline could have “an explosive effect”. A track finally ruled out.
The best for him at the moment would be to find a reserve role among the 10 teams on the grid. An opportunity for him to stay in touch with F1 and thus prevent his name from being forgotten over time. A few weeks ago, our Italian colleagues from Corriere della Sera announced that Guanyu Zhou was expected at Ferrari to take up this position. A decision which is in line with the desires of the electric championship in order to have a “bankable” profile in order to tackle the Chinese market for the Scuderia. But since then, nothing…
« There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, so you just have to make the right decisionconfided the person concerned to The Athletic in Las Vegas. This choice must be able [me] allow to be [dans une situation] comfortable, then I could really give it everything I have, and hopefully I can get back on the grid one day. »
No change of category and the Cadillac option in sight
Currently on the sidelines, Guanyu Zhou is waiting to define the rest of his career with only one idea in mind: staying in F1. There is therefore no question for the now ex-Sauber of trying his luck in another discipline. By opting for this path, he believes that he would lose out, moving away from Formula 1 definitively.
« At this stage of my career, I think it’s not yet the right time to change categories, because it’s always difficult to come backhe explained. But also for my part, I want to be in this paddock. I want to be ready every weekend, and if I have the opportunity to get back in a car, I will take full advantage of it and try to show what I can do. »
While waiting for a possible short-term opportunity, the Chinese could look forward to the 2026 season. The one which will mark the arrival of Cadillac as the 11th team on the grid and therefore the opening of two new “positions”. Obviously, the former Alpine protégé will be keen to show himself in the hope of being a real candidate for this new project. Good news for him, his agent Graeme Lowdon has been appointed director. So perhaps he’s already leaving with a head start to hope to make his big comeback in a little over a year…
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