Zhou Guanyu is confident he will keep his place on the Formula 1 grid next year – and that he will have the chance to compete in his home grand prix.
The Alfa Romeo rookie is the first driver from China to race in the world championship. He lies 17th in the standings having scored in two races but suffered a series of technical problems and a shocking crash at the British Grand Prix.
Zhou believes team principal Frederic Vasseur is happy with his progress and he is hopeful of getting a second season alongside Valtteri Bottas.
“[There is] nothing confirmed yet, but we will wait for the confirmation,” Zhou said of his F1 future at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
“We obviously started talking about it, my side and also from the team side. They are very happy with the job I was doing so far, especially after a tough Silverstone weekend, to come back [and] continue to [be] in form from, let’s say, Budapest was a switch-around point to here.
“So I’m happy with all the group, all the crew, and going along well with Fred, with Valtteri. So it should be no big issue for next year, as long as we concentrate for this year.”
Next year will be Alfa Romeo’s last season branding Sauber’s F1 operation. The team has its own junior driver in Formula 2, Theo Pourchaire, who is one of the contenders for the seat Zhou currently occupies.
However Zhou brings useful sponsorship to the team. His potential value will increase if the Chinese Grand Prix, which was last held before the pandemic, returns on the 2023 F1 calendar. Zhou is confident the race in his home city Shanghai will run next season.
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“[The] Chinese Grand Prix will be likely, it should be here next year,” he said. “I feel like it will be. It’s not been confirmed but still I know they are pushing for it, and everything looks quite good in restrictions Covid-wise, so I think it’s a big opportunity.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was asked last week if the series will return to China in light of human rights violations committed in the country and its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an event which led to the Russian Grand Prix being cancelled.
“As we always said, the political line of the sport is always very thin,” Domenicali explained. “We need to be always prudent. But for us, we always said that we want to bring the spotlight on other positive values. And this is what is happening. We are going to be in all the…
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