Valtteri Bottas believes his teammate Guanyu Zhou has earned his place on the 2025 grid. Neither driver has a new contract for the upcoming season. Sauber was one of the slowest teams in the first half of the season and is currently at the bottom of the championship. Will Zhou and Bottas be overshadowed by other drivers?
Since Zhou’s debut at Sauber, he has been able to rely on teammate Valtteri Bottas – both joined the then Alfa Romeo in 2022. According to the Finn, his Chinese teammate has proven himself multiple times. “Zhou made a big step last year,” Bottas told Motorsportweek. “He has actually improved in all areas; his race knowledge, his speed, his feedback, and also his self-confidence.”
Reflections on a Challenging Year
The 34-year-old Finn acknowledges that 2024 has not been a stellar year for his teammate. “This year, Zhou has certainly had a tougher time,” admitted Bottas. “I think he doesn’t feel as comfortable in this car. That probably doesn’t help his confidence either. So, it’s been a bit of a struggle.” However, the former Mercedes driver sees improvement. “In Barcelona, he was on the right strategy. I think he really drove a solid race then.” Zhou finished the Spanish Grand Prix in thirteenth place, his best finish since the opening round in Bahrain.
‘Earned His Place’
“I can imagine that Zhou is starting to build his confidence,” Bottas explained. “Right now, the gap between us is still too large. That also means that I sometimes miss a bit of reference, especially when you want to compare data. I expect he will bounce back. Between us, it’s good – we’ve always been good teammates, so nothing has changed on that front.”
Has Zhou shown enough to claim a seat in 2025? “I think so,” said Bottas. “He just needs to regain his confidence. I hope he finds something for next year, I believe he has already proven that he can do it.” However, options are starting to run out for the Chinese driver. Reportedly, only Alpine (the team for which he has long been allowed to test) is still interested in the 25-year-old driver.