Zhou Guanyu says he has not been in a position to reveal how his skills have developed in his third season in F1 because of the efficiency of his automotive.
The Sauber pilot and staff mate Valtteri Bottas are the one drivers to have contested each race with out scoring some extent to this point this 12 months.
Zhou is preventing to safe the ultimate spot on the grid for 2025, the second seat at Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg, dealing with opposition from Bottas and outsiders together with Gabriel Bortoleto.
He presently sits twenty first within the championship standings, forward of Bottas courtesy of his Eleventh-place end within the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Requested if he feels he’s been given a good alternative to show his skills within the Sauber this season, Zhou replied: “For certain not – it’s been actual robust.”
The staff began the 12 months with a extra aggressive automotive, stated Zhou, however missed out on points-scoring alternatives as a consequence of a collection of sluggish pit stops.
“I nonetheless bear in mind – as a result of it felt lots higher – the primary few races of the season. In fact, we struggled with different issues – within the pits – however the automotive was really performing fairly competitively along with the individuals across the midfield battle.
“You actually felt you might present what you’ve gotten gained or what expertise you’ve gotten realized over the course of two-and-a-half years. You’re getting higher expertise, higher data with every thing and likewise get extra understanding about what you might want to go faster. However then in that interval proper now it’s fairly tough, in fact, to simply accept as a driver.”
Zhou says that even when alternatives to make an impression on the rear of the sphere are restricted, he’s battling to point out that he deserves to stay on the grid in 2025.
“I believe you do the perfect you possibly can,” he stated. “You’re out in Q1 or you’re simply struggling to get via that. And typically you’re lacking like half a tenth, typically you’re lacking like half a second to the cut-off, which is tough to elucidate precisely purely on driving. So it’s a troublesome season, however you’ve solely bought what you’ve gotten.
“I’m nonetheless attempting to provide every thing I bought for the remaining races. I care about my future, I care about wanting to remain right here so long as I can. So I’m preventing for that and the chance remains to be there. So I’m simply attempting to maintain my head down.”
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