Chinese Formula 1 driver Zhou Guanyu remains optimistic about his future in the sport, despite uncertainty surrounding his contract with the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, which is set to expire at the end of the season.
Zhou, who finished 13th at the Spanish Grand Prix, reverted to his old Kick Sauber chassis for the race, a move that seemed to pay off. “Back to the old one. And, yeah, seems to be picking up the performance,” Zhou said. “We should all be having the, you know, the grip, the confidence that I have with this car. So, yeah, really happy to see the progress went into the right direction and then, yeah, looking forward, of course, to these tracks I think could be suitable a little bit better for this year’s car.”
The 24-year-old driver expressed his eagerness for future races, emphasizing the improvements in his car’s performance. However, when it comes to his contract renewal, Zhou acknowledged that nothing has been decided yet. “Yeah. Nothing has been decided,” he stated. “Like it’s very easy to say, you know, we’re all waiting for what Carlos [Sainz] wanted to decide in the end of the day. But, hopefully he can make his decision sooner. And then I think, that will decide, well, a lot of the driver market.”
Zhou’s reference to Carlos Sainz hints at the potential ripple effects in the driver market depending on Sainz’s decisions regarding his future with Ferrari. As teams begin to plan for the next season, Zhou remains focused on delivering strong performances on the track.
Meanwhile, three-time defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen dispelled any lingering doubts about his immediate future by confirming he will remain with Red Bull Racing next season. Verstappen, who leads the drivers’ standings with a 69-point advantage over McLaren’s Lando Norris, addressed speculation linking him to Mercedes following Lewis Hamilton’s potential departure in 2025.
“I mean, we’re already also working on next year’s car,” the Dutch driver said. “I think when you’re very focused on that, that means that you’re also driving for the team.”
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028, but his recent comments have reaffirmed his commitment to the team as he continues his dominant performance this season, having won seven of the ten races so far.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, both Zhou Guanyu and Max Verstappen are focusing on their respective journeys, with Zhou aiming to secure his place in the sport and Verstappen consolidating his leading position.
