Damon Hill believes 65-race driver will leave F1 with ‘incredible’ legacy

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The 2025 Formula 1 grid looks all but set after the confirmation came through that Gabriel Bortoleto will join Sauber.

The Brazilian will pair up with Nico Hulkenberg in a move that is said to be preparing them for the Audi takeover set for the 2026 season.

It also means that Sauber has now severed ties with both of their current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, after spending the last three seasons with them.

Although both drivers had competitive years finishing in the points between 2022 and the early parts of 2023, midway through last season things took a turn for the worst. Now Bottas and Zhou enter the final three races of the season having scored zero points and unlikely to do so on pure pace.

Damon Hill believes one of those drivers will leave F1 with a lasting legacy when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, having taken part in his first home race earlier this year.

Zhou Guanyu will leave F1 with an ‘incredible’ legacy says Damon Hill

The Chinese driver took part in his first home F1 race having missed out in 2022 and 2023 due to COVID restrictions in the country.

Zhou said it was a ‘career highlight’ of his 65-race career having pulled up after the race in front of the main grandstand and realised his boyhood dream of becoming an F1 driver.

Hill believes he will leave a lasting legacy for others in the country looking to follow in his footsteps in the future.

“Zhou’s legacy is incredible. He turned on the light in China for Formula 1. I think he’ll be revered,” said Hill.

“It’s almost like, not quite first man on the moon. But in China, he’s the first-ever Formula 1 driver. So he’s left his marker there and everyone else is just going to be following him.”

Zhou Guanyu in talks with other F1 teams to rescue F1 future

With Zhou now out of the running for a seat on the 2025 grid, he is still in talks with teams to rescue his future in F1.

After confirming that he will be leaving Sauber at the end of the year, Zhou also said that he plans to stay in the F1 paddock beyond 2025.

READ MORE: F1 2025 driver line-up with every team’s confirmed entry for the grid

One possibility could see him return to Alpine having been part of their driver academy coming through the junior Formula ranks.

Frederic Vasseur called Zhou ‘remarkable’ and said he might be key in Alpine affording Mercedes power units, after their parent company Renault shut down their engine operation this year.