As the Formula 1 driver market begins to take shape, several of the current crop could find themselves without a seat beyond 2024.
Red Bull did not shock many when it decided to extend Sergio Perez‘s contract for the next two seasons, while the futures of Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg have also been secured.
Eight other drivers are at risk of losing their current drive, with one of those being Chinese prospect Zhou Guanyu. Journalist Lawrence Edmondson believes he will have his ‘work cut out’ to stay when speaking on the ESPN Unlapped podcast.
Zhou Guanyu has his ‘work cut out’ staying in Formula 1 next season
Notwithstanding the poor performance of Sauber mired with a pit stop problem at the start of the season, Zhou Guanyu has struggled for form on track compared to teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Having only scored 12 points in his entire F1 career, the Chinese driver has failed to get any points on the board in the first nine rounds of the 2024 season.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth
Although he earns £30,000-per-week at Sauber, he brings a significant amount of sponsorship deals. This includes an ambassadorship with French fashion house Dior and the Chinese branch of HSBC.
Shanghai’s return to the calendar this year also showcased how popular he is among the locals. It was the first time a Chinese driver took part in a Chinese Grand Prix, with F1 putting together a special presentation at the end of this year’s race to mark the occasion.
Zhou Guanyu facing battle to stay on the grid
With only 20 race seats out of the 10 teams up for grabs, Edmondson expects Zhou to find it tough to secure a spot along with American Logan Sargeant.
“The good thing about the situation now, is there is not a single driver in F1 that does not deserve to be there, and certainly next year when it looks increasingly unlikely that Logan Sargeant’s going to be there, Zhou Guanyu is going to have his work cut out there to get into F1,” said Edmondson.
“Those are two very talented drivers, but the fact that it almost looks impossible to get a seat just shows you the level of talent there is, and that’s the only good thing we can take from this scenario is that at least the drivers on the grid are all exceptionally talented and not there because they have a load of money. If you go back 10 or 15 years ago, that was often the case.”
Sauber is set to be taken over by Audi from the 2026 season, but since announcing Nico Hulkenberg as their first driver, the German car-maker has not shown interest in either Zhou or Bottas.
Another possibility is Haas, although Zhou faces stiff competition after Esteban Ocon was reportedly among the drivers under consideration after he “part ways” with Alpine.
A return to the French outfit could be another potential move for Zhou, after he spent his junior formula years in their driver academy before joining Sauber in 2022.
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