Guanyu Zhou reports that he is very close to a contract extension with Alfa Romeo. The Chinese would like to stay with the Swiss racing team and sees no options other than Alfa Romeo. Zhou wants to remain loyal to Hinwill and continue with them in the 2024 season. The Chinese’s contract expires at the end of the 2023 season.
After impressing in his debut season in 2022, Zhou isn’t really standing out at the moment. The car of the Swiss racing team offers a considerable challenge to the Chinese and that makes it difficult to achieve fantastic results. The car’s unstable performance means the team is only ninth in the championship. Only AlphaTauri is still behind them. Zhou has not been able to score any points since the Spanish Grand Prix. Managing director Alessandro Alunni would like to continue with the current driver duo, although there is gossip in the rumor mill that Alfa Romeo wants to opt for a newcomer.
Sauber junior and reigning Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich would be at the front of the queue. However, Zhou is not concerned about this, because he is aiming for an extension of his contract. “It’s all going a bit slower than I first expected,” Zhou explained to the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com. ‘That’s because we are now putting the finishing touches on the project. People often ask: why don’t you just draw? And I don’t have an answer to that. The conversations are moving in the right direction and we are close to the end,” says the Alfa Rome driver. ‘I’d like to stay here longer. The future of the team looks positive.” Zhou previously indicated that he would like to be part of the team if it joins forces with Audi.
Zhou looks no further: ‘I want to stay where I am’
While it is rumored that Zhou will face competition from two other potential Alfa Romeo drivers, he does not look further than Alfa Romeo. “Right now, this team is my priority. There are also not many seats available. I want to stay where I am,” said Zhou. In addition, the Chinese may have problems with his finances, but he denies that. “I have personal sponsorship and I don’t know those stories,” he says, before explaining the difference between the first and second contracts. ‘With the first, everything is determined by the team, with the second we will discuss the details further. I don’t lose sleep over it, because I don’t have the feeling that my performance on the track will prevent me from being in the paddock anymore,” said the Chinese.
