Sauber-Audi has actually revealed it will certainly not retain either Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu beyond the existing 2024 F1 season.
Valtteri Bottas–
As Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber introduces its vehicle driver line-up for 2025 and beyond, the group expands its sincere thankfulnessto Valtteri Bottas These past 3 years with each other have actually brought extensive modifications to the company, noted by impressive success.
Valtteri, that signed up with the group adhering to an effective five-year job with Mercedes, where he protected 10 race success, made an instant influence on the Hinwil- based team. His payments contributed in a collection of successes throughout the 2022 season, finishing in a sixth-place surface in the champion.
Within the vehicle driver line-up, Valtteri has actually been a driving pressure, boosting both his colleague and the group with his exceptional experience, interest, important technological understandings and combating spirit.
Valtteri Bottas: “A situation like this is never easy for anyone. But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met. These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments. I’m grateful for the joint experiences as well as the trust and support I’ve felt every step of the way. Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.”
Mattia Binotto, COO & & CTO,Sauber Motorsport AG:“We extend our deepest gratitude to Valtteri for the past three years together. He has been the embodiment of professionalism, using his vast experience to support the team’s growth. Valtteri’s dedication and approach have been invaluable during a pivotal time in our history, and the memories of these years will stay with us for a long time. In considering our driver line-up for the coming seasons, Valtteri was unquestionably a key candidate. With his fighting spirit, he frequently pushed the car beyond its performance limits. However, a decision had to be made. After open and constructive discussions, we mutually concluded that final conditions could not be met so we agreed that it is time to part ways. Valtteri will always have an open door here in Hinwil.”
Zhou Guanyu–
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber introduces that vehicle driver, Zhou Guanyu, will certainly leave the group at the end of the 2024 season, after 3 years invested with the Hinwil team. Zhou had an amazing trip that started at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he made an instant impact on the globe of Formula One with factors on his launching, and saw the Chinese vehicle driver assist the group to its ideal lead to a years– P6 in the 2022 season.
Joining as a novice, Zhou created a solid collaboration with team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, as the duo combined experience and younger interest. Zhou’s finding out contour was high, however the Shanghai- birthed vehicle driver made fast development and took place to develop himself as a trustworthy entertainer and an amazing vehicle driver with a propensity for assaulting.
Among the highlights of his job with the group, Zhou’s most remarkable minute was participating in his initial home Grand Prix, the Chinese GENERAL PRACTITIONER in2024 In front of a bumper group, he supplied among his ideal efficiencies, directly losing out on the factors in the Sprint Race and fighting up until the last edge generally occasion– to be awarded with an applause by the group on the primary grandstand, an absolutely psychological minute.
Zhou made an effect off track also: his feeling of design and interest for style made him a recommendation for the F1 design overview: he aided draw in a young and elegant target market to the sport and rapidly came to be a symbol for well established and brand-new followers alike.
With 3 races still to run in the 2024 season, Zhou and the group will certainly attempt their ideal to surface this trip in one of the most effective method feasible: there’s a task to do, and everybody in the group is established to obtain it performed in the very best way.
Zhou Guanyu: “I will leave the team at the end of the season, but I am fully committed to finishing the season in style. I am grateful to the team for giving me a chance in Formula One: this is not an easy sport for rookies, but the team has allowed me to grow so much over these three years. China, earlier this season, was without doubt a highlight, but so many moments, both in public and behind the scenes, are what I am going to remember from the last three years. I’ll now focus on the next step in my career: I still have plenty of fight left in me and I am keen to continue progressing.”
Mattia Binotto, COO & & CTO, Sauber Motorsport AG: “The last three years have seen our team grow significantly on and off the track, and both Valtteri and Zhou have played a big role in this progression. At this time, however, following our discussion with Zhou, we have decided that our future lies in different places. We are grateful to Zhou for the last three years, for the commitment and the hunger he has shown from the first moment he drove for us to today. Scoring points on debut and helping the team to P6 in 2022 was a statement of intent, but so was his contribution off track and at the factory. We want to celebrate our journey together with three strong races to finish this season, and both the team and Zhou are committed to giving everything in Las Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi together.”
More to come
