£30k-a-week F1 driver says his 2024 car hasn’t suited his ‘driving style’ all season

Follow us on Google Discover

Although Formula 1 teams are beginning to think about the new set of regulations being introduced in 2026, some manufacturers still haven’t nailed this year’s ruleset.

McLaren are leading the way in terms of recent development, going from close to the back of the grid to a race-winning outfit in the space of 12 months.

Red Bull’s period of domination looks under serious threat and Mercedes have suddenly turned a corner as well.

However, for the likes of Alpine, Williams and Sauber, it’s been another difficult campaign.

F1 cars are now so reliable that teams near the back of the grid can no longer rely on a few retirements ahead of them to have a chance to challenge for points.

It appears as though this generation of F1 cars can only drive to their full potential in a very narrow window, making life more difficult for drivers.

In an interview with The Race, Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was talking about his difficult third campaign in Formula 1.

Zhou and his teammate Valtteri Bottas have yet to score a point with Williams’s Logan Sargeant the only other driver in this position.

No driver has qualified last more than Zhou this year although he’s not always been on a level playing field with his teammate.

The £30,000-a-week driver has admitted that Sauber’s 2024 car simply doesn’t suit his driving style and has pinpointed one weakness that he can’t blame on the car.

However, Zhou has also been extremely unlucky this year as his retirement at Spa proved when he suffered two serious technical faults in the first four laps.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth

Zhou Guanyu says the 2024 Sauber doesn’t suit his driving style

Talking about his difficulties this season, Zhou said: “I would say in racecraft we’re similar. On a lot of occasions, I’ve actually been a little bit quicker than him [Bottas].

“Also, in the last few weekends, I was compromised because I started behind [Bottas]. That is a weakness: it’s probably one lap pace with this year’s configuration of the car.”

“It’s tricky for me because it [the car] doesn’t suit my driving style over one lap and it requires a very high level of smoothness on input.

“My driving style is a little bit more aggressive, which has worked well in the last few years with the car, especially last year – I was able to always get it together. This year I’ve been suffering a lot, but all I can say is I’m working to adjust that.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Sauber making big changes before full Audi takeover

The next 18 months are crucial for Sauber and Audi before the giant German manufacturer makes their Formula 1 debut in 2026.

It’s imperative that they have the strongest foundation possible to be competitive and right now Sauber are not providing that platform.

Audi have made drastic changes behind the scenes to try and speed up their development and make sure they’re heading in the right direction.

Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann have recently left Audi and been replaced by former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

Binotto has wasted no time in bringing in Jonathan Wheatley from Red Bull to become their new team principal ahead of 2026 and his experience should help set Sauber in the right direction.

However, Sauber and Audi are still having trouble attracting new staff to the team which is proving to be an issue.

Zhou and Bottas will hope that more immediate improvements are made to the car rather than looking to 2026 when they may no longer be at the team.

Otherwise, they’re 10 race weekends away from suffering the misfortunate of a pointless Formula 1 season.