Audi Set to Drop Zhou After Troubled Year?

Facing 2025, Zhou grapples with what he calls the toughest season of his career.

Guanyu Zhou is enduring an extremely challenging season, languishing at the back of the grid with Stake F1. The car isn’t competitive, a fact… but neither is Zhou.

Valtteri Bottas, for instance, overwhelmingly dominates him in qualifications (11 to 1).

“This is really the most difficult season of my career,” admits the Chinese driver to Motorsport Monday, more endangered than ever for next year.

“I feel a bit of frustration and of course, difficulty. I have to deal with it, because this is a very important year where one finalizes their future.”

“At the start of the year, we had a good car, but we had a problem with the pit stops – we couldn’t score points, which is frustrating for everyone on the team.”

“We hope to make progress – and these haven’t been easy weeks or months for us as a group, because I wanted to show what I could do, but it’s hard with these problems.”

This 2024 season could be Guanyu Zhou’s last in F1. Kick Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, has already recruited Nico Hülkenberg for next year. And given his results, Zhou certainly does not deserve to stay in F1.

How is he coping with this very uncertain future?

“We set it aside because there’s not much we can really change…”

“For your future, I think all you can do is get results on the track and focus on what you are doing, that is, making the most of the car. And then, generally, nothing has really changed because I think everyone knows the difficulties we are facing as a team. But for drivers, you want to show where you can do best – and you also want to show that you are making progress. That’s the most important thing to show.”

“The goal is always to stay in F1.”

Could it be F1 or nothing for Guanyu Zhou in the future?

“I don’t know, once you feel like doing something else or you are not motivated… but for now, I am still very motivated, I have energy. I need to see what the future holds, but for now, I enjoy being here, I love driving these cars, and I also love Formula 1, there is no better place for a race car driver.”

“So yes, I am simply grateful for the moments I have experienced. Of course, there have been many highs and lows, but I am simply grateful to be on this starting grid to continue performing.”

Zhou notes improvements on the track, and off it too: and this could count in 2026…

“I’ve improved not only my driving but also my communication with the team and self-management under challenging circumstances. I think it’s much better, and I don’t feel as nervous as in 2022. I always feel a bit more natural in my system now.”

A Sauber team undergoing transformation…

Behind the scenes, Guanyu Zhou also observes the tough transformation of Sauber into Audi. But isn’t it frustrating to see changes from which one cannot really benefit?

“It’s probably more behind the scenes, on the factory side, that things are changing. There are a lot of personnel changes, operationally as well.”

“But for me, we try to focus on the weekends, one at a time, trying to extract the maximum performance from the car. And then, of course, the rest is up to Andreas [Seidl], he handles the people and ensures the team is ready for Audi. So it’s exciting for us, for the employers and the racing team members, because we know once we become an Audi team, we will have much more funding.”

“And Audi knows we are fighting for points—and they want to fight for podiums. But first, I think there are two years where we have to sacrifice a bit, and this year is probably one of those years where it hasn’t been easy. Because everything is a bit delayed and postponed.”