Source: REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
[Saba Sports News] Last season’s departing Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who has now joined Ferrari as a reserve driver, recently discussed the real reason for his departure from Sauber when speaking to the media. He stated that Sauber’s car was the slowest in the entire paddock. He also mentioned that in F1, where “car performance is greater than driver strength,” Sauber, which does not have a dedicated engine supplier, made his life difficult in 2024. Frequent malfunctions and the disadvantage in race speed not only dealt a huge blow to his rankings but even led him to consider giving up his racing dreams, ultimately prompting his decision to leave. The editor believes that in F1 events, car performance is indeed crucial. A slow and faulty car severely limits a driver’s performance, making it difficult to achieve ideal results, which affects their career development and reputation. This also reminds other teams to focus on the coordinated development of both aspects.