The driver market in Formula 1 is gaining momentum. After official announcements for 2025 were few and far between following Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari, things have been buzzing recently. This week alone, two more decisions were made with Sergio Perez’s contract extension at Red Bull and Esteban Ocon’s departure from Alpine at the end of the year. Nico Hülkenberg’s transfer from Haas to Sauber had already been made official.
Hülkenberg’s move to the future Audi factory team means that at least one of the two current Sauber drivers will have to leave the team in Hinwil in 2025. The goal of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu is clear: to keep a regular cockpit in Formula 1. “I don’t want to be a reserve driver. I don’t want to take a year off,” the latter clarifies.
Zhou: Formula 1 return after exit difficult
“At this point in my career, I don’t want to take a year off because if you do, it’s difficult to come back,” Zhou argues. “Simply because you’re not racing. It’s such a high level. The cars change and you have to adapt to understand something different.”
Zhou returns to sponsor Alpine?
“A reserve position is definitely not an option at the moment,” Zhou clarifies. “In the midfield, a lot is still unclear for everyone and there are still some places that everyone can take,” says the Chinese. These places also include the two cockpits at Alpine. After Esteban Ocon’s departure was confirmed at the beginning of the week, at least one of the two seats at the Renault factory team will be filled.
An option for Zhou? After all, the 25-year-old was part of Alpine’s junior program until his Formula 1 debut with Alfa Romeo Sauber. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Alpine in the past because they really helped me get the chance to play in Formula 1,” said Zhou.
In the past, however, Alpine has dispensed with Zhou’s services on several occasions. When the opportunity to take a Formula 1 seat at Alfa Romeo arose, Alpine released the youngster. Zhou never played a serious role in the allocation of Alpine seats for 2023, despite his Alfa Romeo contract expiring. Even when Alpine lost Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri within a very short space of time, the French team preferred to poach Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri rather than rely on the services of the ex-junior.
In addition, Alpine currently has a talented young driver in Jack Doohan’s current squad. The Australian will be taking part in the first free practice session at the Canadian GP in the A524. You can read all the details in this article:
Bottas confident: Will be interesting weeks
In addition to Alpine, in the event of a failure to extend the contract, only Haas and Williams is a realistic option for Zhou. One thing is certain: From Zhou’s point of view, continued employment in Formula 1 would be deserved. “I have the feeling that there should be a place for me on the starting grid in the future. I just don’t know where,” Zhou says, still at a loss at the moment.
The same currently applies to teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn, who has recently been increasingly linked with Williams, is statistically the most successful driver on the market. “I am convinced that I will get a seat,” says Bottas confidently about his future. “The way I see the situation at the moment, I am not worried. It should certainly be an interesting one or two weeks,” says Bottas, raising expectations of a decision soon.
Bottas: Can’t wait forever for Audi
According to Bottas, this is also necessary. “I have to make my decision quickly,” says the two-time vice world champion. Bottas does not want to wait for a final announcement from Audi-Sauber: “They are prepared to wait a long time. But I can’t do that forever. This team is definitely still an option. But I don’t have the time to wait too long. That’s why I want things to speed up.”
A declaration of loyalty sounds different. Especially since Bottas’ words give little hope for a future in Hinwil. “I have the feeling at the moment that they want to change some things in the team. It’s probably the same with the driver line-up,” said Bottas. Carlos Sainz in particular has been repeatedly linked with Audi-Sauber since his Ferrari exit. If the Spaniard decides to go with Sauber, this would probably mean the end of Bottas and Zhou’s time with the Swiss team.
Poor Sauber performance a career killer?
“Of course, it was always the case that I would be part of the project, but recently it has been a bit quieter. That’s why I have to try to read the situation and do my own thing,” said Bottas with regard to Audi-Sauber. At least in the team’s internal duel against Zhou, the ten-time GP winner was able to come out on top this season. So far, Bottas has prevailed against his younger teammate in every single qualifying session with the exception of the sprint qualifying in Miami.
However, both drivers are struggling with Sauber’s poor performance in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Sauber is the only team without any points after eight race weekends. “Of course, on paper this is harmful for the drivers, but people analyse our performance closely, either over one lap or in the long run, the way we communicate with the team and also see our values,” Zhou hopes that the performance slump will not have a negative impact on his own future.
In addition to Bottas and Zhou, there are still numerous other drivers without a cockpit for 2025. These include Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda. However, the situation for the Japanese driver seems to be far less complex than for the Sauber duo. You can read all the details about Tsunoda’s current contract situation in this article: