As of 2025, Guanyu Zhou remains without a contract. Despite bringing a substantial amount of sponsorship money to the table – reportedly around 30 million dollars – he lacks the necessary points to appeal to Sauber or any other teams with available seats. According to former team boss Günther Steiner, this hefty sponsorship is not sufficient to secure a contract.
Previously, German publication Auto, Motor und Sport reported that Haas might be interested in collaborating with Guanyu Zhou. The 25-year-old driver is incredibly popular in China, a significant new market for Formula 1. Haas could potentially benefit from the Chinese sponsorship money associated with this popularity. However, former Haas team boss Günther Steiner questions whether teams would want to partner with Zhou for this reason.
“In the current Formula 1, it’s no longer about that,” Steiner recently stated in the Red Flags podcast. “The idea that people only wonder who brings in the most money is greatly overestimated. Especially now that a budget cap is being used, the teams know what they want – and that is simply a successful driver.”
Another option for Guanyu Zhou is Alpine. The French racing stable is in dire straits as the company is undergoing organizational collapse. Esteban Ocon has already lost his seat for 2025, while teammate Pierre Gasly has not yet extended his contract. Zhou, who was a test driver for the Enstone team for two years, maintains good relations with Alpine. However, Steiner believes that Zhou also has no chance here. “It’s a factory team,” he explained. “They will always go for the best drivers they can get.”
