Good result for the Saubers in sprint qualifying, Zhou 10th in front of his home crowd

« The pressure before the weekend was extreme ». These are the words of Zhou Guanyu who is participating in his first Grand Prix at home. Twenty years ago, he was watching the race as a spectator, and now he is in the top 10 for the sprint race.

We can say that the 24-year-old man achieved an impressive performance, managing to slip into Q3. A tenth place that puts him in a good position for the sprint race, where points are awarded to the top eight finishers. And for Sauber, these points are important, as the team is at zero, since the start of the season.

Bottas (9th) and Zhou (10th), are at the end of their contracts at the end of the year, like several drivers in the paddock. There have been speculations that both could be replaced for 2025, with Audi already in discussions with drivers, such as Carlos Sainz or Nico Hülkenberg, according to rumors.

With uncertainty hanging over their respective futures, a strong performance in the qualifying for the first race of the season sprint came at the right time.

Aim for the points on Sunday

Sauber has had a gloomy start to the 2024 season and is one of the three teams that have not yet scored any points in the first four races of the season.

« I had never felt it until the first Grand Prix I did, my debut. Everyone is there to watch you, so you want to do well. That’s when mistakes can happen », Zhou explained to Sky Sports F1.

(e) It’s great to be in Q3 for the first time in my career. Every time, before settling into the car, even in the garage, I can see the crowd cheering. I am honored to have been able to offer them a result and a reward for coming here to sit in the rain.

« Scoring a point is something we aim for. If I want to score my first point of the season, I will choose Shanghai. There will be mixed conditions, let’s do our best and prepare for the main race on Sunday.