Zhou will remain without a steering wheel in 2025… to remain available for 2026

No, Guanyu-Zhou has not finished in Formula 1. The Chinese driver with 68 Grand Prix with Sauber intends to return to the premier category one day. After three years at Hinwil (Switzerland), the 25-year-old driver was not renewed by the Swiss team, which preferred Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 season. Forced to stay on the sidelines in Formula 1, the Shanghai native has no ambition to look elsewhere. While some rumors associate him with a reserve driver position among some Top Teams – Ferrari et Red Bull notably – Guanyu Zhou assures that he will not play another championship in 2025.

“Next year I have decided not to do another championship. I feel like with all the doors that could open, not just next year but the year after, I want to make sure that in case there is a chance that I get my seat back for a race or not, I will be fully available to do it, so that is very important.”, explains the Chinese driver, who is aiming for a return to Formula 1 as soon as possible.

Zhou, a Hulkenberg destiny?

The former Sauber driver is not afraid to spend a full year without a steering wheel or competition, a risk that paid off for a certain… Nico Hülkenberg, future Sauber-Audi driver, a few seasons ago. After his departure from Renault At the end of 2019, the German remained Racing Point's reserve driver / Aston Martin, participating in a few Grands Prix as a luxury joker during the Covid-19 period, before returning to a regular seat in 2023 at Haas. Guanyu Zhou hopes to follow that same path and is not worried about being inactive for a season if it puts him in a good position for 2026.

"I also feel that we need to keep the dynamics of the competition going, but even if I take this year off, I think everything will be fine, underlines the 25-year-old pilot. I think with more than one year [off], you start to lose that momentum a little bit. So for me, I just want to make sure, for my next chapter and in a very happy place, that I can be fully aware that I have the opportunity to come back here on the grid, because I think I haven't shown my full potential yet this year. I want to have another chance, if the opportunity presents itself." Not forgetting that in addition to his experience, Guanyu Zhou has the double advantage of his nationality and his sponsors, which could tip the balance in his favor for a possible return in 2026...

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