Zhou joined the team formerly known as Alfa Romeo for 2022 but, as the first full-time Chinese driver in F1 history, some have speculated that his seat was bought rather than earned.
Zhou combated this by scoring points on his debut in Bahrain, before being handed a one-year contract for 2023. It was eventually announced that he had signed for 2024 on another 12-month contract.
While the option deal for teammate Valtteri Bottas for next season was seen as a formality, there were question marks over Zhou's future at the Swiss team. There has been speculation that a lack of financial support was perhaps behind the delayed confirmation.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Zhou responded to these rumors by saying that any delays were due to “small final details” and these rumors were just political issues.
When asked if the problem was that he didn't have enough financial support, Zhou replied: “It's politics!”
“People said that Perez would retire in the Mexican GP, but there was no truth to it. Then there were the rumors of Alonso changing seats to join Red Bull. It's madness.”
“Now I understand the media more, especially when there are other riders or the media of a certain country making rumors, they make you worry. But from the inside, you know what's happening. It's quite easy to understand them.”
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo C43
During the negotiations, Zhou reiterated that his priority was to remain at Sauber – who were also evaluating the future of junior driver and FIA F2 champion Theo Pourchaire – rather than going around offering himself to other F1 teams.
When speculation about his future surfaced, Zhou thought he could laugh off the questions, adding that he doesn't care about the rumors because he knows they are false.
Zhou continued: “I don't give a f**k, to be honest! It's like all the other crazy things I heard when I signed my contract. I said to myself, 'I'll just let it all flow, I'll make sure to talk on the track and I'll make sure people respect why I'm here.' Everything has been good since then.”
“I'm quite relaxed, but sometimes it's quite funny to see some rumours, because you know what awaits you: you signed the contract and there are still rumors that other people are going to take your place. Sometimes it's quite funny.”
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