Guanyu Zhou is at a crossroads in his Formula 1 career. After a difficult 2024 season in which he often had to struggle with outdated material and disappointing results, the Sauber driver showed that he still has the potential with a 13th place at the Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
But while the sporting performance of the first Chinese driver in Formula 1 is picking up speed again, his future in the premier class remains uncertain.
Positive change in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas race marked a turning point for Zhou. With a revised development package that gave him a competitive car for the first time in months, he was able to put in his best performance since the summer.
“I’m really happy that the upgrade worked and the team finally gave me a car that I can fight with,” said Zhou, emphasizing that the weekend gave him back the confidence that he often lacked in the second half of the season : “That is the most important point.”
The new parts allowed Zhou to achieve a significantly better qualifying performance, which he sees as a deciding factor in his race. “We finally had the opportunity to find the balance and rhythm we needed before qualifying,” explains the Chinese, who qualified 13th.
The race was rather uneventful, so he finished in this position: “It was a clean race, but not much happened, so there wasn’t much more possible.”
A season of missed opportunities
Despite the late rebound, Zhou cannot hide that the 2024 season fell short of his expectations. “The second half of the season was disappointing,” he admits. The late upgrades to the car in particular set him back in a crucial phase for his future in the team.
“I often had to ride with the old package, and that set me back at an important time for my future. But on the other hand, I’m very relieved and looking forward to the next two races and the next chapter.”
Nevertheless, Zhou is determined to use the remaining races to get the most out of it and thank his team for their support in difficult times.
Looking into the future: talks with Ferrari
The question of his future remains open. When asked about the possibility of working as a reserve driver at Ferrari, he confirmed that discussions are ongoing with several teams, including Ferrari: “Of course, Ferrari is one of the teams that is interested.”
The Chinese emphasizes that he wants to take his time to make the right decision. He expects more clarity about his next steps in the coming weeks.
“We have to wait and see, because of course there are a lot of things coming up in the next few weeks. But it’s clear that we’re going through all the options we have to see where we stand. I don’t want to commit yet because I want to be sure “That everything is clear and I can concentrate fully on the next project.”
He hasn’t signed anything yet. “But I hope to announce something soon. Once I’ve signed, I’ll have to find the right time to announce it. Those details aren’t quite clear yet, but we’re working on it.”
In this article
Juliane Ziegengeist
Formula 1
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