Zhou Guanyu is one of a handful of Formula 1 drivers who are in danger of losing their place on the grid next season.
Sauber have already signed Nico Hulkenberg making it less likely that Zhou Guanyu or teammate Valtteri Bottas retain their seats for 2025.
Unsurprisingly, that means that both drivers are exploring their options with time running out to secure their Formula 1 future.
Bottas appears to be the favourite to sign for Williams with Logan Sargeant’s chances of staying on the grid dwindling.
Sauber have ended talks with two drivers for 2025 which might give Zhou a glimmer of hope that he could earn a fourth season with the team before they become Audi in 2026.
In an interview with The Mirror, Zhou and Bottas were both talking about their futures after a disastrous first half of 2024.
Neither driver has scored a point this season, with Zhou ahead of his teammate in the Drivers’ Championship because of an 11-place finish at the first race of the season in Bahrain.
Half of the teams on the grid still have a seat available for next year and Zhou might be calling on a previous relationship to stay in the paddock.
Before joining Sauber, Zhou was part of the Renault academy as he was rising through the ranks in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Renault’s F1 team Alpine have only confirmed one driver for next year – Pierre Gasly – and are searching for a replacement for Esteban Ocon.
Zhou has admitted that he’s talking to different teams right now and might be calling on his strong relationship with Alpine to try and stay on the grid.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth
Zhou Guanyu admits ‘very good relationship’ with Alpine amid 2025 race seat hunt
Asked about his future, Zhou said: “We’re talking to all different teams that have a seat available.
“All I can say is that, between myself and Alpine, we kept a very good relationship throughout the whole thing and they helped me develop before I jumped into Formula 1, through the academy and by doing F1 testing – I did my first FP1 with them. They gave me a lot of opportunities.”
Zhou was part of Ferrari’s driver academy in karting before signing for Renault in 2018 ahead of his move into F2.
He was Renault’s test driver in 2020 and made his practice debut the following year in Austria.
However, his performances over three seasons in Formula 2 earned him his move to Sauber – previously Alfa Romeo – in 2022 and while he’s not stood out during the past two and a half seasons, he’s not had the car underneath him to prove just how quick he is.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Who could join Pierre Gasly at Alpine in 2025?
Zhou Guanyu has been linked with an Alpine seat next year and looks like a more experienced option than some of the other drivers on their shortlist.
Chinese carmaker Geely could also play a role in Zhou joining Alpine but money is no longer a serious factor in driver choices in F1 these days given how profitable the sport is.
Alpine would love to hire Carlos Sainz when his contract expires with Ferrari at the end of the year.
The Spaniard is still delaying his choice for 2025 though with Mercedes also considering Sainz as an option.
Reserve driver Jack Doohan and WEC racer Mick Schumacher are both in the conversation for an Alpine seat.
Doohan has taken part in two FP1 sessions this season although neither have gone to plan with the weather playing a role in his limited running in Canada.
Until Sainz puts pen to paper on a 2025 contract, nothing is likely to happen in the driver market.
The summer break is normally when things begin to move in the Formula 1 driver market but the unique circumstances this year could see the grid confirmed before the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
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