Sauber F1 Team and Drivers Bottas & Zhou Prepare to Part Ways

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will leave Sauber at season's end. Paired since 2022, their departure comes after discussions indicated conditions to continue were unmet. Sauber, soon an Audi team, plans to welcome Nico Hulkenberg next season as it currently sits last in standings.

The Formula One team, Sauber, announced on Wednesday that drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will be departing at the end of the season. Bottas, hailing from Finland, and Zhou, the pioneering Chinese F1 driver, have been with Sauber since 2022. Previously known as Alfa Romeo, Sauber disclosed that mutual discussions led to the conclusion that the conditions necessary to extend their partnership were unavailable.

Sauber expressed gratitude for the contributions of Bottas and Zhou, citing them as epitomes of professionalism. Despite their dedication, the team has not managed to earn points this season and sits at the bottom of the constructors' standings. The team is set to transition into an Audi factory outfit by 2026.

Bottas, who joined Sauber after a successful five-year tenure with Mercedes, remarked on the difficulty of such transitions but acknowledged the necessity of moving forward. Meanwhile, Sauber has announced that German driver Nico Hulkenberg will join the team next season.

(With inputs from agencies.)