Zhou Guanyu will stay with Sauber’s F1 team, currently called Alfa Romeo, in 2024, the team confirmed Thursday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Zhou, who became China’s first F1 driver when he joined in 2022, will partner Valtteri Bottas for a third consecutive season.
Alfa Romeo’s choice had been between Zhou and its junior driver Théo Pourchaire, who is currently leading the Formula 2 championship.
The team has kept Zhou in a race role and retained Pourchaire’s in his current role.
Sauber’s title partnership with Alfa is set to end next season, meaning the Sauber outfit will compete under a different name. The Swiss team is set to become Audi in 2026.
Zhou’s deal means there are now just three seats on the 2024 grid yet to be confirmed.
AlphaTauri is yet to confirm whether Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will continue together for next year, or whether Liam Lawson has done enough to earn a full-time opportunity, while American rookie Logan Sargeant is yet to secure a contract extension at Williams.
Lawson has acquitted himself well in the two races he’s stood in for Ricciardo since the Australian broke a bone in his hand in a practice crash before the Dutch Grand Prix.
Sources have told ESPN Ricciardo is confident of a full season with AlphaTauri, but Lawson’s unlikely opportunity has complicated things for Red Bull’s management.
As for Sargeant, another deal seemed like a formality a few months ago, but the Floridian’s poor form and run of crashes has prompted Williams to consider other options for next season.
