Zhou Guanyu is one of many drivers to be out of a contract after this current season. It was assumed that he would continue with the team as he delivered decent results. However, according to the latest rumor, the team may not choose to renew its contract due to a lack of budget.
Following the 2023 season, Alfa Romeo will no longer be a part of the Sauber team as they are now. instead, Sauber will be an independent team with minimal backing from Audi. In 2026, Audi is scheduled to become the works team for Sauber.
Alfa Romeo communicates that its partnership with Sauber Motorsport will end by the end of 2023.
As the economic and industrial turnaround of the brand will be achieved in 2022, Alfa Romeo will evaluate among the many opportunities in line with its DNA. https://t.co/wDCVFEYUIc— Alfa Romeo (@alfa_romeo) August 26, 2022
With all this happening, the Sauber F1 team is falling short of their budget. Their current contract with Zhou Guanyu is estimated to be worth around $500,000. However, Zhou will be expecting an increase in this number from the next season onwards. Now it seems as though they will not be able to accommodate this pay rise.
Valtteri Bottas who will be driving the other car in the team is paid around $10 million a year. There is a huge difference in pay between the two drivers on the same team. While it seems cheaper to get rid of Bottas instead of Zhou, the Finnish driver has a contract with the team until the end of 2025. The team will have to pay millions to Bottas if they wish to break this contract. Hence, Zhou Guanyo has to face the sharp end of the knife.
Which driver is most likely to replace Zhou Guanyu?
The entire reason the team could be looking for a different driver is because of the budget issue. So they will not be looking at drivers who have already driven in Formula 1 as they will be seeking a higher salary. Rookies on the other hand will agree for a minimal salary as it provides them the platform to showcase their talent for a better future.
If Sauber is planning to replace Zhou, they would be looking closely at the Formula 2 Championship. As it stands, there are a few Championship contenders who will do well with Sauber. However, the most fitting replacement would be Theo Pourchaire.
Theo Purchaire is a French driver who has been in the Formula 2 Championship since 2021. He started to make some noise from his debut season itself. He finished 5th in his first year by winning the featured race in Monaco and the sprint race in Monza. In his second year, he added 3 more wins and finished 2nd place. For the current season, he has won only 1 race. However, he is leading the Championship.
🚨 | BREAKING: Zhou Guanyu could lose his Alfa Romeo seat for 2024, according to @Julien_FEBREAU.
A lack of budget from Zhou could be significant.
Theo Pourchaire is seen as a possible option. pic.twitter.com/Ojp3zstTy7
— formularacers (@formularacers_) August 25, 2023
There is no doubt that Theo Pourchaire has a lot of talent and potential. Fans have often speculated that he would be the next driver to make it to Formula 1. It looks as though this dream could turn into a reality for the young Frenchman.
However, this would be bad news for Zhou Guanyu. He has delivered good results for the team and this would not be the right time for him to go out of the sport. He would have completed 2 seasons after the current one. Generally, the 3rd season is the breakout season for every young Formula 1 driver. By this time, they would have completed their training period and will start challenging for bigger things.
Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks regarding the status of the team and their drivers.
