Kick Sauber confirms Bottas and Zhou to leave
6th November 2024Kick Sauber has confirmed Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will ‘part ways’ at the end of the season after both parties ‘mutually concluded.’
Feature image credit: Stake Motorsports
Sauber has confirmed that Bottas and Zhou, its current drivers, will part ways at the end of the season after three years of competing under the Alfa Romeo and Stake, Kick Sauber brands.
In the announcement, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Stake confirmed on social media all three parties have ‘mutually concluded’ that conditions for them to work couldn’t be met.
In the announcement, Kick Sauber confirmed:
“After open and constructive discussions with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, we mutually concluded that conditions to continue together could not be met so we agreed that it is time to part ways.”
Bottas and Zhou have competed together for the last three years under the branding of Alfa Romeo for both 2022 and 2023, before competing under Stake Kick Sauber for 2024.
After open and constructive discussions with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, we mutually concluded that conditions to continue together could not be met so we agreed that it is time to part ways. We would like to thank both for the contribution they have made to the team in the… pic.twitter.com/Gaqmu5trt7
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) November 6, 2024
Despite points finishes in 2022 and 2023, and finishing sixth in the constructors in 2022, the team are struggling to get points on the board as they stand pointless after 21 races this season.
Following the announcement, Kick Sauber thanked both of their drivers for the service they had provided to the team.
“We would like to thank both for the contribution they have made to the team in the last three years,” Kick Sauber continued. “They have been the embodiment of professionalism, using their experience and enthusiasm to support our growth.”
Rumours have it that Gabriel Bortoleto will take up the remaining available seat with the team, as Visa Cash App RB is already pencilled in with Liam Lawson.
Nico Hulkenberg has already confirmed to join the team which was announced earlier on in the year.
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
