Formula One: Sauber to put brakes on Zhou Guanyu’s career, Bottas ‘top of list’ for 2025
Comments from team boss Alessandro Bravi appear to signal end to Chinese driver’s hopes of securing a seat for next season
Zhou Guanyu’s hopes of driving in Formula One next season appear to be have been dashed by his Sauber boss Alessandro Bravi, ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
With Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg already joining the team, which will become Audi in 2026, Zhou has been battling a host of others to secure the second seat in 2025.
Now, however, it seems as though teammate Valtteri Bottas has won the race, with Bravi saying the 35-year-old, who in his third season with the team after stints at Williams and Mercedes, was “top of our list”.
Ferrari’s former principal Mattia Binotto has been appointed to lead Audi’s Formula One project, and speaking to reporters in Baku, Bavi said that while Binotto was assessing drivers, there was no rush to announce a decision and a move may come in weeks.
“We are evaluating all of the options to see which is the best balance between a short term experience and medium to long-term maybe young talent. There are potential candidates on both sides,” Bravi said.
“We are just looking at all the pros and cons and Mattia will take the decision based not only on 2025, but also in the medium to long-term strategy for the Audi F1 project.”
