Geeky Holdings, the Chinese company linked to take over the Aston Martin F1 team from Lawrence Stroll’s Yew Tree Holdings has recorded a $60 billion revenue in 2023. Now, F1 expert Joe Saward, in his recent Notebook, has come out with a new revelation where he mentioned the safe future of Guanyu Zhou.
Zhou is the first full-time Chinese driver in F1 history and has a huge following in his home country. This is an important aspect for Geeky Holdings who are linked to take over the British team. They would also love Zhou, a Chinese driver, driving for the team.
Started P19
Finished P9A battling drive earned @ZhouGuanyu24 his third points finish of the season 👏#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/HhF2PdvSJI
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2023
As per the recent updates, the Chinese outfit is all set to intensify its F1 team take over from the existing shares they already have in Aston Martin. Therefore, Zhou could see an opportunity waiting for him on the horizon, with the Silverstone-based outfit.
How can the Geely group’s takeover secure Guanyu Zhou’s future?
Lawrence Stroll and his consortium agreed with Geely, not to go beyond 22 percent before August 2024. However, Yew Tree also offered to sell not more than 25 percent in the same period. However, as per Saward, the Chinese company might go on a rampage to take over the entire team by that time.
This would make Zhou their first choice over Lance Stroll. Mentioning this, Saward wrote in his latest Green Notebook, “I suspect that over time the Strolls will depart F1 with bags of money to make them feel better and Geely will come in and hire Guanyu Zhou.”
A visibly frustrated Lance Stroll reacts to his Q1 exit#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/b41L80g9f1
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 6, 2023
If the Geely group takes over Aston Martin and decides to axe Lance Stroll, this will end the F1 driver’s run in F1 after his debut in 2017. Furthermore, Zhou’s performance in general has also been better than the Canadian.
How could Lance Stroll lose his seat after the takeover?
Lance Stroll has heavily underperformed in 2023. The Canadian driver not only failed to live up to the expectations but also hasn’t contributed enough to solidify Aston Martin’s fight against their rivals in the constructors’ championship.
Furthermore, he has not been able match his two-time world champion teammate Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver has comprehensively outperformed Stroll, despite both driving the same car.
All in all, in spite of Lawrence Stroll’s great reputation for helping build Aston Martin into what it is today, he might not be able to save his son from getting the sack after back-to-back poor shows in a formidable AMR23.