In 2022, Audi announced they would be entering the F1 grid by the 2026 season. To achieve the same, the German company has started the acquisition of Sauber, which operates as Alfa Romeo, in a phased manner. With a new setup coming in place soon, there are high chances of changes happening throughout the team. However, Zhou Guanyu recently told during the Thursday press conference that he might have a future under the new German regime as he talked about an extension on his $2,000,000-a-year contract.
Heading into the 2023 season, the 24-year-old Chinese driver signed a one-year contract extension with Alfa Romeo worth $2,000,000. As such, his contract shall end with the current season, but there is a possibility that things might change.
Zhou Guanyu reveals contract extension talks are taking place
During a segment where the drivers talked about their future in the F1, Guanyu revealed he was also in talks with his team for a potential contract extension beyond 2023.
“It’s been going on, obviously talking together, before the summer shutdown, and also, I think now we are still discussing together with the team.”
With contract negotiations underway, Guanyu has one less thing to worry about heading into the second half of the season. There is, however, one more thing that helps the Chinese be in a better place than last year, and that is his being much more composed. The 24-year-old admitted to being much more nervous this time last year, but that has not been the case this year.
Guanyu did not have the easiest of starts to his F1 career at Alfa Romeo
Back when Zhou Guanyu joined Alfa Romeo by replacing Antonio Giovinazzi, fans gave the Chinese driver a lot of stick. Many even claimed him to be a ‘pay driver,’ with rumors suggesting he brought in nearly $50 million as funding for the Sauber team.
🚨 Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are likely to be retained by Alfa Romeo Sauber for 2024 🚨
According to a team representative from Sauber, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, he believes there shouldn’t be any reason for the pair to not continue in 2024.
— el F1 (@elFormulaOne) August 22, 2023
The driver soon put his critics to rest with his impressive performances in a car that wasn’t up to the mark. In a grid of 22 drivers, the Alfa Romeo driver finished 18th with six points to his name.
However, the numbers don’t justify the performances put in by Guanyu, who was comparatively much more nervous last year. Having since proven his skills as a reliable driver, Zhou Guanyu feels much more relaxed and backs himself to be able to land a contract extension heading into the second half of the season.
