Zhou Guanyu said he was open to switching Formula One teams next year in search of a multi-year contract, rather than staying with Sauber on a short-term deal.
The 2024 season may only be two races old, but F1’s game of musical chairs is already in full swing, and Zhou is one of 13 of the 20 drivers out of contract at the end of the year.
But, while his Sauber team is set to glam-up to become Audi’s works outfit from 2026, it’s likely the squad will opt for another transition season before the German manufacturer takes over and shakes things up.
And ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Zhou, racing in his third season of F1, said he was looking for a chance to grow as a driver, not just fill a seat on the grid.
“Obviously it depends on the offers we receive, and what the long-term plan is,” Zhou told the Post. “As much as I would love to stay with Stake F1 Team [Sauber], I feel like a long-term contract is something I’m going to chase, because having three years here as a rookie is a quite a nice thing to have.
“But I think from your third year, or fourth year [in F1] onwards, I think it’s right to say I’d like to have a longer contract, which can help you feel a lot more settled down, [and enable closer] development within the team. I think it’s also important to have the same crew with me to be able to have a massive influence on the project going forward.”
The 24-year-old, though, is looking for luck and his first points of 2024 in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, after a disappointing opening run through the Middle East in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
“If you take out the Jeddah [cross-threaded wheel nut] issue I had in my pit stop, I would have finished quite comfortably in P11 or P12, because [Kevin] Magnussen did such a great job maintaining the gap,” Zhou said, referring to the strategy Haas used to help Nico Hülkenberg score the final point.
“Obviously I was P11 in Bahrain, where none of the top five teams retired. It’s tough for us in the midfield, because there’s a big step in performance between the top-five teams and where we are. So it’s difficult for us under normal circumstances to score points. But, they can make mistakes.”
Zhou finished 19th and 11th respectively in the opening two practice sessions on Friday at Albert Park, ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas on both occasions. The Chinese racer scored two points for ninth in last year’s chaotic race, with its carnage and record three red flag periods.
Red Bull is expected to dominate this weekend in Melbourne, following on from one-two results in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen going for his record-equalling 10th straight win dating back to the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.
The action at Albert Park this weekend continues on Saturday with final practice at 12.30pm local time, followed by qualifying at 4pm. The 38th running of the Australian Grand Prix, the 27th in Melbourne, will start at 3pm.
