“Might Well Be the Last for Zhou Guanyu”: Despite Heroic Reception at Chinese GP, Local Idol is on Exit Course

“Might Well Be the Last for Zhou Guanyu”: Despite Heroic Reception at Chinese GP, Local Idol is on Exit Course

The return of the Chinese GP to the F1 calendar this year turned out to be a huge success. This was thanks to local hero, Zhou Guanyu. The Chinese driver, who races for Sauber, was the major factor why, over the course of the three-day event, a staggering 160,000 fans were present at the Shanghai International Circuit. However, according to Sky Sports F1 pundit, David Croft, this might as well be the last home GP in F1 for the #24 driver.

On the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Croft began by comparing WWE to the sport. He explained how F1 cannot look to keep drivers on the grid just because their presence might guarantee a commercial success for a particular Grand Prix.

Admitting Zhou‘s undoubted talent, the 53-year-old was moved by the scenes at the Shanghai International Circuit as the Chinese fans cheered on for their hero. That being said, in the back of his mind, he’s not able to see a future for the 24-year-old on the grid beyond 2024.

“I was thinking, ‘I hope this isn’t the last, and it might well be the last Zhou Guanyu for some time’. It’s because I don’t see where he lines up on the grid next year. I don’t see where there is a place for him,” added Croft.

Crofty’s bleak assessment of Zhou’s future might actually be spot on. The 2025 grid is going to see a massive overhaul given how fluid the driver market is currently. And with Sauber being re-born as an Audi works team in 2026, the chances of Zhou landing a race-seat are next to none.

David Croft believes that the doors will close for Zhou Guanyu in F1 after 2024

Croft went on to discuss the potential movement in the driver market as this season progresses on. In the middle of it all, the Briton strongly believes that despite Zhou’s caliber, he will be left out of the sport completely.

According to him, Audi will be competing to sign the likes of Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg to kickstart their era in Formula 1. This would most surely leave the Chinese racing ace without a seat for 2026. On the other hand, Mercedes will be looking to promote Kimi Antonelli into a full-time F1 role by then.

Thus, shutting virtually all doors for Zhou. The closest thing to remaining a part of the paddock would be going back to Alpine. Zhou was an Alpine academy product and hence, those ties could be vital for him to salvage something out of his short F1 career so far. But even at Enstone, a race-seat is a slim probability.

Things could open up at Alpine, however, depending on how the silly season pans out. As things stand, there is a strong rumor in the paddock that Pierre Gasly is in negotiations with Williams for a possible move to the Grove.

Post Edited By: Samriddhi Jaiswal
Zhou Guanyu

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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