F1 driver at centre of ‘big luggage of cash’ claim slams ‘stupid rumours’

Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu has hit out at “stupid rumours” over his F1 future, claiming reports regarding the amount of sponsorship money he brings to the team is “a bit disrespectful.”

It comes after Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 World Champion, claimed Zhou “doesn’t deserve a seat in F1” despite having “a big luggage of cash” to help convince potential suitors.

Zhou Guanyu angered by ‘disrespectful’ F1 rumours

Zhou, who became F1’s first full-time Chinese driver in 2022, remains without a seat for the F1 2025 season with the 25-year-old unlikely to be retained by Audi, who will take over the existing Sauber team in time for the major regulation changes in 2026.

Zhou’s only other hope of remaining on the grid rests with Alpine, where he previously held the role of test driver in 2021.

Reports from Germany in June had claimed Zhou and his sponsors had failed in an ambitious €30-35 million offer to Haas, who opted to sign their preferred driver lineup of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon for F1 2025.

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Ocon had previously been linked with a move to Audi, who missed out on top target Carlos Sainz last month as the outgoing Ferrari driver agreed to join Williams.

Zhou, who has revealed that he is working on “the few options still available on the table” alongside his manager Graeme Lowdon, the former Virgin/Marussia F1 chief, has hit out at the media coverage of his funding.

He told RN365 : There’s a lot of stupid rumours from media. I heard some rumours in the past [and] I want to say it clear.

“People say [things] like: ‘I don’t know how much money I’m bringing’, ‘[I’m] speaking to one of the teams’ – not here [at Sauber]. I’m not going to mention which team [but] they just announced [a] driver departure.

“I barely spoke to them in that period, but [rumours] just come up with the amount of sponsor money I could bring to the table – I wish I had that [amount of money], maybe I could invest in Sauber and make a benefit of it.

“Just a lot of rumours on that side, which is quite funny to see that, but in another way it’s a bit disrespectful saying that.”

Villeneuve had claimed it would be a “great result” for a team financially to tie Zhou to a reserve driver role for F1 2025, having largely struggled for results since arriving on the grid.

Zhou has scored just 12 points in total since his debut at the start of 2022, never finishing higher than eighth, with his last top-10 finish occurring at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.

Villeneuve said: “Guanyu Zhou has a big luggage of cash in his sponsors that he needs to put somewhere, whether that’s as an F1 driver or a reserve driver.

“Based on the results, Zhou doesn’t deserve a seat in F1.

“If a team can get all that sponsorship money that Zhou brings with him, even as a reserve drive, then it’s a great result for them.”

Audi have been linked with a number of drivers for F1 2025 since missing out on Sainz and Ocon, with Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo recently mentioned as potential targets depending on the driver situation at Red Bull.

However, Zhou’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas recently hinted that he will stay with the team for F1 2025, posting a image to social media of his F1 race number, 77, emblazoned on an Audi road car.

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