Sauber charger Zhou Guanyu was the subject of much speculation in the back half of the 2023 season, but the Chinese driver has remained steadfast and insist he’ll continue to do his talking on the track.
Zhou faced persistent doubts about his merits, even before he graduated to F1 with Alfa Romeo in 2022, with some suggesting that his seat was secured not by his racing prowess but by financial backing.
Those comments resurfaced in the latter part of 2023, fueled mostly by the delays in confirming his contract for the upcoming season, a sign that his credit had perhaps dried up.
Zhou, however, has refused to be cowed by the unfounded allegations, pointing to “politics” as the source of the falsehoods.
“It's politics!” he told Motorsport.com.
“People were saying Sergio [Perez] would retire in the Mexico GP but nothing goes on. It is the rumours of Fernando [Alonso] swapping his seat [to join Red Bull]. That's crazy!
“I actually understand more about the media, especially when you have other drivers, or from the medias of that country making rumours, makes you worry.
“But from the inside out, you know what's going on. You are quite easy understanding about them.”
It is believed that Sauber genuinely contemplated elevating FIA Formula 2 Champion and protégé Theo Pourchaire to a race set in F1 in 2024.
Nevertheless, Zhou consistently emphasized that his primary focus was to stay with Sauber, rather than exploring options with other Formula 1 teams.
As for the naysayers who continued to spread their "crazy" rumors, Zhou insists he will silence them with his performances, one race at a time.
“I don't give a shit about it, to be honest! It is like all the other crazy stuff I got when I first signed my contract,” he said.
“I was like, 'I will just let it flow, I will make sure I do the talking on track; making sure people respect why I'm here’. Everything's been good since then.
“I'm just quite laid back but it's actually quite fun at times to see some rumours because you know what's coming - you signed the contract, there's still rumours about other people are taking your seat.
“It's quite funny sometimes.”
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