Zhou confident Sauber F1 team can return to 2022 level

Zhou scored just six points in his second season in F1 in 2023, equalling his debut season tally, as the then-named Alfa Romeo team struggled for competitiveness with its C43 amid a close midfield battle.

Speaking to Autosport’s Chinese sister website, Zhou said he is confident the team can get back to its 2022 performance levels, with his additional experience allowing him to now be much closer to his Finnish team-mate than he was two years ago.

“The trends in the development so far are still in line with what we have been expecting,” Zhou said. “Hopefully the pre-season preparation, including the three days of testing, will allow us to set a better direction for the whole season.  

“As the personnel at the team’s headquarters, especially in the technical department, are constantly being added and adjusted, we hope to create a better and more complete team.  

“I have my trust in the team and feel that this year we can get back to the performance level we had in my first season.”

When asked where it had gone wrong in 2023 and when the team identified the changes it needed to implement for 2024, Zhou replied:

“Actually, around the summer break of the 2023 season, our direction [of the development] was already clear – where does the car lack in grip.

“First of all in low temperatures or when the track had less grip, we often had less margin to improve in terms of tyre temperatures than other teams, so we couldn’t deliver the performance in the first and second sector. 

“Secondly, there were some uncertainties with the car, such as correcting in the corners more frequently than in the 2022 season, with some unexpected oversteer or understeer. 

“These are things that we have been given feedback to James [Key].”

This year F1 will return to China for the first time since 2019, which means Zhou will finally get to contest a home race, having never raced at the Shanghai International Circuit before in any category.