A Formula 1 driver has shared an emotional statement following the announcement that he will be leaving his current team at the end of the season.
The 2025 driver market has been extremely active, beginning with Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile move to Ferrari.
Since then, other major transfers have followed, leaving only two spots on the grid open ahead of last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
That number has now dropped to one, as Sauber revealed Gabriel Bortoleto will join Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season. Consequently, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, who have yet to score any points this season, will not have their contracts renewed.
Upon learning he would not be staying in F1 next year, Guanyu, the first Chinese driver to compete in the sport, expressed his gratitude to his team and reflected on his pride in representing them over the past three seasons.
“I will leave the team at the end of the season, but I am fully committed to finishing the season strong,” said the 25-year-old in a team statement. “I am thankful to the team for giving me the chance to compete in F1—
this is a tough sport for rookies, but they’ve allowed me to grow over these three years. The race in China earlier this season was certainly a highlight, but I’ll cherish many moments, both on and off the track.”
He also added, “I am incredibly proud to have been the first-ever Chinese driver in Formula 1.”
It remains uncertain where Guanyu will race in 2025, though with only one seat left at VCARB, his chances of staying in F1 appear slim, as the team is likely focused on more internal driver selection.
