Zhou and Sargeant address their options for the future – from reserve driver roles to life outside of F1

Amid continued moves in the driver market, Zhou Guanyu and Logan Sargeant are two of those yet to finalise their plans for 2025. With the number of seats available ever decreasing, both have given their take on what their respective futures could hold.

Zhou is currently competing in his third season in the sport with Kick Sauber, a team where one spot for next year has already been confirmed with Nico Hulkenberg making the switch from Haas.

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The Chinese driver hopes to remain on the grid but, like many, believes that several moves will not play out until Carlos Sainz has decided on his destination ahead of his impending departure from Ferrari.

“I want to stay here, that’s very clear,” Zhou responded when asked about his plans for 2025. “But of course we’re talking to different options, as well as with Sauber. Nothing’s been decided.

“It’s very easy to say we are all waiting for Carlos to decide at the end of the day, but hopefully he can make his decision sooner and then I think that will turn around a lot the driver market.

“But before that, I think the guys who still haven’t signed [can’t] really give any clear answer. We’re talking and there’s options, but we need to wait and see.”

Quizzed on whether a reserve driver role with an F1 team would potentially be of interest, Zhou suggested that this is an option he would consider should it come with the possibility of returning to the grid in the future. 

“[I would] have to see with the whole project, because I think to be a reserve driver would be interesting if they could promise a seat available for the coming seasons,” he explained.

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“I think that would be something still I could take. But otherwise I need to see exactly, because once you take that role, some drivers never come back, which is not the case I want.”

Zhou is also solely focused on staying in Formula 1, with the 25-year-old stating that he is not currently exploring pathways outside of the sport such as IndyCar or the World Endurance Championship, two categories that have previously welcomed former F1 drivers.

“For me, no. I’m just talking to F1 teams currently,” he added. “Of course it’s interesting also as a championship, but for me at the moment it’s not an option.”

Sargeant, meanwhile, is concentrating on his performance in 2024 during his second campaign with Williams, despite the continued noise over the driver market.

“At moment I’m just focusing on my job, doing the best I can and to make the most of what I have underneath me, and yeah, options are open,” said the American.

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Unlike Zhou, Sargeant has hinted that he is not ruling out possible career opportunities away from Formula 1, commenting: “From my side I’m exploring all options from within and outside of F1 at the moment.”

With Williams having already secured Alex Albon’s services after the Thai driver signed a multi-year contract extension, team boss James Vowles has made no secret of the fact that Sainz is at the top of his list for the other vacancy.

Vowles has also said that, while Sargeant has built “confidence”, the squad “need more” from him in order to “save his seat” for 2025.

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