Why Zhou Guanyu is the PERFECT fit for Audi

[@justinlzy]

I think what Zhou needed rn, is luck, save the seat talk later, our dude just cannot get a clean weekend, and when he does, he is actually quite solid pace wise

[@ariastatelu]

Nah he just suck, change him to someone who is more capable

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@ariastateluprobably with Adderly Fong or Martin tomczyk.

[@jamessun265]

I wouldn't say he's the "Perfect" driver for Audi, but he is rather underrated in terms of driving, and the potential market in China is hugeeee

[@YIERXU-sq8qy]

As a Chinese fan, I wouldn’t say Zhou is the best, his driving is so conventional, not radical. But the errors of the this car are too much, if the team can eliminate their mistakes and let zhou to get some points, it would be better

[@s1bulka]

market part is irrelevant, nobody cares about paydriver driving a backmarker.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@s1bulkamuch like 1990s driver market that is...

[@jeb292]

Think the problem with Zhou is that when he was still getting used to F1 was when the car was by far at its best. He’s been pretty close to Valtteri after those first few races but the car has more often than not been at the back

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Valid point for sure. P10 on debut told you all you needed to know about the car.

[@Warrioruk]

In Canada 2022 he was very close to Bottas. P8 and P9.

[@aaryanfredrick6931]

@@Warrioruk he was only behind because of a safety car too if i recall correctly, he was in P7 while bottas was out of the points before it

[@jkliao6486]

Obviously as a Chinese, I remember the details associated with him. The first half of his 2022 campaign with littered with bad luck. The infamous pitstop debacle in Saudi, the "we can't keep retiring the car when we had the chance" radio in baku, and one of the worst accidents we had in this ground effect era in silverstone. I'd argue he's up for a point in all 3 of those events, and he was clearly keeping up with Bottas before that silverstone crash, pretty much hit the ground and starting running immediately.

[@Warrioruk]

@@jkliao6486 Yeah I still remember his retirement in Baku while running in the Top 10. Baku was the first weekend where he was on par with Bottas and he even beat him in Qualy.

[@bsylvester713]

Zhou Guanyu has been driving pretty well this season. P11, 'best of the rest' in Bahrain, probably would have been P11 again in Saudi if it wasn't for that pit stop. If he keeps that up he probably deserves a seat next season.

[@tbmofoulprinceromero]

A seat, maybe, but not a seat in a works team.

[@chamindujanith6337]

@@tbmofoulprinceromero LMAO. This isn't Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari😂

[@Lukas-sp6pf]

Tommo just got 100000 social credits

[@TommoMcCluskey]

*20000

[@skkho1204]

@@TommoMcCluskey-1000 for defying the system's judgement

[@p4olom]

😂😂😂

[@owenzou2673]

@@TommoMcCluskeyDoes westerners genuinely think social credit is actually a thing in China or is it just a meme? As chinese myself I never engage with this social credit stuff during my entire life……

[@hugbear984]

@@owenzou2673 just a meme bro

[@TheWhiskyRebel]

From everything that I have heard from other commentators/analysts, Sainz and Hulkenberg is the ideal combo that Audi wants (assuming they can't get Max/Lewis/Alonso/etc.).

[@Viacer]

I could see Zhou take Hulkenbergs seat if he gets scooped up by Audi and Bottas could take the Merc seat if Sainz goes to Audi (my phone tried to automatically change "take" to "stake" lol)

[@etcarief]

German Line-up, wait till they pulled up with a tank in 2025

[@zacktan1403]

i am a big fan of Guanyu, mainly because I am also Chinese (from Malaysia) but he was one of my F2 drivers that I liked alongside Jack Aitken and Felipe Drugovich. when people say that he isnt good as a lot of other drivers and that he is a pay driver, i can't argue it. but he has shown enough that he deserves to have a seat, mainly due to his smooth calm and safe driving. i can't really think he had many crashes apart of Silverstone (not his fault) and Hungary (his fault but remember he qualified p5). and i think that a "new" team like Audi could use a safe pair of hands like Zhou, to avoid any incidents that may hinder their development of the car, alongside Theo Pourchaire. Guanyu is still very young, and definitely have untapped potential that many people dont see. im not saying that he is WDC material, but a certain Jenson Button had a lot of doubters that he'd even win a race.

[@Viktoronto]

hungary wasnt his fault either he had a brake issue

[@NyZuuu]

and this my friends is how you write an amazing opinion about one of your fav drivers without being hardcore biased

[@zacktan1403]

@@NyZuuu i really cant tell if youre being sarcastic or not so im going to say thank you

[@zacktan1403]

@@Viktoronto i wasnt aware of that thank you

[@spammus1]

Honestly people who say Zhou is a pay driver, never saw Mazepin "race" and they don't know who Taki Inoue is. I also always dislike the term "pay driver" because it doesn't really mean a driver is bad, for example Fangio and Lauda were pay drivers too (Fangio got sponsored by the argentinian dictator Peron and Lauda took two loans to buy his seats at March and BRM). I absolutely think Zhou is not a top tier driver, and most likely will never be, but he absolutely has the potential to fight for points every race if the car permits it.

[@owenzou2673]

Hi Tommo, glad you bring this topic out and say some fair words for my fellow countrymen Zhou. Before the start of the season, Zhou actually did mention that he was “too clean and cautious” during last two seasons and he is willing to push to the limit this season in order to stand a chance in upcoming 2025 market. That shunt in Jeddah certainly proves his words, proving he is seriously pushing, but not just getting to the fine margins just yet. Also, as you mentioned in this video, Audi is a very very big existence here in China, in fact probably the symbol of business car I shall say(BMW & Benz are too show-off, whereas Audi considered the more low-key luxury brand, which fits our culture) And there are definitely discussions about Audi signing Zhou for brand exposure within Chinese market here as well, which to me it makes perfect sense. On track wise, Zhou is at least a F1 proven level of driver, so he ain’t those type of typical paid drivers like mazespin or GOAT Latifi, and we haven’t really have the chance to see what he can bring when he has a competitive car, so who knows what can happen when he gets it? Last but not least, tickets in Shanghai is SOLD OUT, right after it released purchase window, and I got it just seconds before it vanishes. Just to prove how much of his impact brought to f1 in China, cause during previous pre-COVID races, the seat is not full at all. Still, beating Valtteri is almost a must for him, or at very least stay even with Valterri, in order to set a benchmark for him going into 2025.

[@autot3ch761]

I would argue that Zhou is a perfect driver for Haas, as he's on par if not better that Mag at the moment and is younger. He's proven in F1 and brings a good backing for Haas, as well as an opening in China for Gene to sell his Haas automation products in. I would really like to see Zhou-Bearman in Haas next year, and Hulk either going to Audi or Mercedes as a stopgap for Antonelli, who I'd put in Williams instead of Sargeant.

[@theinternetlad]

Problem is, Haas advertise themselves as 'America's F1 Team', which you can work out wouldn't be a good look

[@stal1n63]

@@theinternetlad yeah, "american team", where they main base located inside of Ferrari's in Moranello)))

[@hamza-chaudhry]

20:15 He also pitted on Lap 42 in Saudi, extending his mediums that long, albeit tyre degradation was barely a factor that weekend

[@Kuriiios]

I 100% agree, Zhou is the perfect second driver for Audi. The maker for luxury German car is constantly growing in china and get a Chinese driver is the fastest way to offset the expense. I think Carlos fan base is getting bigger every year and when Alonso will retire he will gather all the Spanish fans so could be a great value off track in a few years

[@SD_TG]

Especially because out of the big 3 (called BBA in China), Audi nowadays is considered more as an inferior brand compared to BMW and Mercedes, like its something for people who cant afford those 2 brands. In the same class, the Audi option is significantly cheaper, yet still gets less sales.

[@glenrobinson10]

Zhou has the best PR of all time for a pay driver. EDIT: "You can't tell me that Zhou doesn't have the potential to be as good as Bottas was at his best" is a crazy statement. He's shown absolutely nothing to suggest he can perform to the levels of Bottas even just at Williams.

[@iVerstappen]

What pr? I don’t even see him at all during a race weekend

[@TommoMcCluskey]

But why is that crazy? He's close to a 34 year old Bottas now. And as much as I don't think Bottas is at the peak of his powers anymore, he's not a bum either. It's not guaranteed of course, and he's not there yet. But "potential", absolutely.

[@iOSMIDO]

he has the best pr beacuse he's a solid, very clean driver, I feel he's the perfect 2nd driver for a team like mclaren/audi/aston martin, like midfield teams in general. Also very good personality on and off the track

[@glenrobinson10]

​@@TommoMcCluskey A lot of Bottas' ability is seemingly based on confidence & drive - no pun intended - which he had at Williams. He lost that driven nature at Mercedes when he realised he could never beat Lewis, usually early in the season & he hasn't had it at most weekends at Sauber because it's not a points winning car. He's essentially settled at "good enough."

[@sigmablock]

@@TommoMcCluskeyI think people are sleeping at the fact he’s just as good as Tsunoda in F2. He had a good F2 run, top 5 iirc in the past seasons he was in.

[@demonbox7780]

Man in these comments the amount of people who wants a 24 year old guy gone to give space to young drivers... Sorry folks the guy is not a super talent, but neither are Bottas or Ricciardo anymore and they are both a lot older, get them out of F1 to make space for young drivers and give some midfielders (like Zhou) some years to actually drive in it. He's not a super talent that is for sure, but he's no Stroll, Mazepin or Latifi either, the same could be said for Giovinazzi, drivers who will never get a top car seat and as such will most likely never win a race, but... How many races has Bottas won in the last 2 and half years? How many Ricciardo in the same span of years? Exactly, not a single one and they are both 10 years older than Zhou and spent almost as much in F1.

[@JoePCool14]

Here's the thing: I think Zhou, Bottas and Ricciardo should probably *all* be gone, in addition to Magnussen. The sport is keeping many mediocre drivers around, both young, middle-aged and old. If drivers can't prove something decent in 3-4 years, it's time to try someone new.

[@DerickChen]

I’d argue stroll has shown more promise in F1 than Zhou

[@Elaina_Barkhorn]

@@DerickChen at the same time: stroll can u bring the car back?

[@chamindujanith6337]

@@JoePCool14 Perez should get fired before everyone else. He is horrible

[@MLPaz]

@@Elaina_BarkhornNo, it’s in the fucking wall!

[@thefrog6065]

SAIC was created to assemble Volkswagen Santana back in the 90s. Without Volkswagen, there would be no SAIC. Since then, they have been producing various Volkswagen models in China for more than 30 years. During those years, Volkswagen Group's products took over the entire Chinese auto market. The government vehicle is A6; The taxi in Shanghai is Santana; The taxi in Beijing is Jetta; All learner's vehicle in driving schools are Polo. The connection between SAIC and Audi is definitely more than just an EV platform.

[@scott19087]

He is the epitome of a Chinese guy in professional sports: he is too nice. He’ll never push someone wide, he won’t call out someone doing something stupid. The guy races sooo clean. If he gets a bit more cocky and assertive he can get really good I think. I like him and his driving

[@tbmofoulprinceromero]

Check out Sun Yang and Chinese football players before saying Chinese guys in professional sports are "too nice"

[@scott19087]

@@tbmofoulprinceromero never heard of them so I’m sticking with it.

[@Triggernlfrl]

First using racist remarks to describe what is wrong with the driving and than you lick ass?

[@zijunliu8424]

It’s because Chinese athletes are really hard to get sponsorship in NBA or F1. That’s the reason why they are polite. They must keep everyone happy. Also I love Yuki he is real. Say tons of F word. But if Zhou behave like him , he wouldn’t get in the F1, but Yuki can because he gets the sponsorship from Honda.

[@tbmofoulprinceromero]

@@scott19087 Well it's your choice to remain clueless and there's nothing I can do about it.

[@gechuzhao2178]

Unlike Yao Ming, Li Na, Ding Junhui etc, who have made their respective sports popular in China. Racing is way more expensive and less accessible for most people. You can't count on Zhou alone to make the sport popular and even make a profit in China. I think Zhou definitely needs a few point finish to even secure next year's seat let alone 26

[@zhen86]

It’s to sell cars not racing

[@thefaketb]

Zhou is genuinely so underrated, I really hope he stays because he has so much talent

[@Danzig_]

Lol

[@lukasvitkauskas9811]

That saubet seat is cursed to make the driver completely invisible to everyone like Giovanazzi

[@sarimsalman2698]

Gio won Le Mans for Ferrari what are you on about

[@chamindujanith6337]

@@sarimsalman2698 Nobody in F1 cares about LeMans. And he didn't win it alone

[@sarimsalman2698]

@@chamindujanith6337 That is one of the statements of all time. So according to you, nobody in F1 cares about one of the biggest, most prestigious motor races of all time?

[@chamindujanith6337]

@@sarimsalman2698 No. It isn't related to F1

[@sarimsalman2698]

@@chamindujanith6337 The current poster child of Formula 1 is obsessed with sports car racing, and there is massive overlap with Motorsports fans following endurance racing and Formula 1

[@spammus1]

Zhou at Audi would actually work incredibly nice if Sainz was to move there in 2026. Especially since Sainz would undoubtly be the 1st driver, and I think the performance difference would be quite different in Sainz's favor. But yeah I also don't see him as a 1st driver anywhere as of right now, especially if we also take into consideration all the young talents ready to jump into F1 like Bearman or Antonelli.

[@nothanks3653]

how much did he pay you for this?

[@MichaelTarailo-st1nv]

There's definitely something behind this video. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Audi care more about money than having a quality driver

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Not enough.

[@sarimsalman2698]

​@@MichaelTarailo-st1nvYou really think Tommo, a medium sized KZbin channel discussing Formula 1, is funded by the CPC?

[@g_l_o_o_m_y_y]

This was by far your best transition to and ad. Smooth af this time Tommo😂

[@DirkAndDestroy]

He's perfect for a back row team yeah.

[@bzilla-d4i]

Audi's racing record speaks for itself, this isn't Toyota we're talking about here

[@lewishamilton.f1.44]

Tbh i really wish that they would just give him a good championship winning car and he.ll be scoring points and getting p2 or p3 in no time he.ll be like piastri or tsunado if he gets a fast car with good pace i mean he is no hamilton or verstappen but i truly believe zhou could be one of the best drivers if he actually gets a good car

[@andreatorriani6719]

i love the GT4 soundtrack, incredible!!

[@andrisositis2229]

I really feel like you overrate how much a manufacturer like audi values the off track part. Its a tie braker if u have two equal drivers and one is much more marketable, sure u pick that one. But if the other one is a slightly faster driver they would still pick him.

[@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي]

I Agree with you completely he's a good driver and I believe he's staying at Audi unless Audi has different plans and Ideas but Zhou has everything a team needs being decent at the wheel and having all that Sponsorship and money and Backing he can improve the way I see it is him alongside Carlos Sainz due to Carlos's dad having connections to Audi or Nico Hulkenburg if Aston Decides to get Sainz getting rid of Zhou is a costly choice

[@selder_7]

This was a really good video. I don’t think many in the West will be backing Zhou to be at Audi but it’s well reasoned and researched of why there’ll be a big outside incentive to keep him. You’ll get flack for it, so respect for sticking your neck out

[@MichaelTarailo-st1nv]

It's not April fools yet, what's up with the title of this video?

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Watch it and find out! 🎊

[@davicee.]

you're an L for hating Zhou

[@mike04574]

He’s average

[@victoryswe4159]

@@davicee. so boringly avarage

[@reading_Xayah]

I would think one reason is that Audi is not that competitive to attract those top tier driver, and this results in Zhou is one of the best options for stable and business. Whoever teammate u choose to be with him seems to be a reasonable and stable strategy.

[@beaman_2000]

10:38 As a Chinese, I can confirm that signing Zhou won't create a huge sensation in China like Max.

[@jkliao6486]

Why? Because from my point of view, even my parents start to actually care about F1 only because Zhou is currently on the grid, so are many of my friends.

[@beaman_2000]

@@jkliao6486 At this stage those who follow F1 are mainly long-time fans and young people who love sports game. Zhou's success has created an F1 boom in China, but he's not really a household name yet, unless he can make it to the podium in a limited number of future opportunities. Otherwise he won't make the kind of impact in China that Max did in Holland.

[@paidquartz]

I would be so sure about this. As an old F1 fan who only got back to watch this sport, I myself would surely buy an Audi sports car if they sign Zhou for 2026. Heck whoever signs him will get my money, I'll even get that freaking Alpine A110 if Alpine signs him. I'm holding my money and if nobody signs him, I'll get the Lotus Emira. But just like I can't be certain if I'm the majority, I also wouldn't say I'm the monirity with high confidence. In my opinion it all comes down to how they would like to do their marketing and Zhou will be a unique selling point. It wouldn''t hurt give him a try for a year to see how it goes.

[@jkliao6486]

@@beaman_2000It's not like Logan Sargeant is making the kind of impact you are expecting rn but seems like American fans are all for him staying. I'd be surprised if Zhou is not at least as popular if not more among Chinese. Who needs him to be a household name? It needs to start from somewhere.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Ho Pin Tung also ever considered to be one of the F1 candidates,​@@beaman_2000

[@Rhachette]

There are so many audi cars in China rightnow, even in a small town where i am studying rightnow

[@95mustafa]

Definitely the perfect 2nd driver. Stick Sainz in the 1st seat and you’re sorted

[@stroervor]

Zhou could be a Sergio Perez in the future, (you know, starting as a paid driver and then growing into a good racer) as long as Sauber give them a decent car to show off

[@erictsui8802]

His neck is still quite weak compared to those seasoned drivers. But his speed is now catching up with his teammate

[@quentinhirschfeld9382]

Pérez always had a certain level when he raced in the juniors and he immediately showed his great throttle application in F1. Zhou isn't that bad, but Pérez was at a whole different level when he made his debut.

[@mochagreen]

Jokes aside, China is by farrrrrrr Audi’s biggest market EDIT: I will further elaborate, in Europe and most of the world the German brands seem to rank 1 Merc 2 BMW 3 Audi. But in China, it’s 1 Audi 2 Merc 3 BMW, Audi’s brand value in China is far better their status elsewhere.

[@jkliao6486]

Debatable, audi is considered an inferior brand to BMW and Merc, more people consider it to be a glorified VW back there. The only thing keeping audi in the game is because they are cheaper. How would I know? I currently own an audi and my family had an audi since 2014, the price of that car back then was slap bang right in the middle between a 3 series and a passat.

[@BradleyCollison98]

its a good shout, i'd say sainz&zhou for 2026/2027 for sure then depending on the performance of the drivers&the performance of the audi platform then make a decision for the future of the drivers from there... atleast then audi gets two years to settle into f1 with 2 safe pair of a hands and one of them pairs having the chinese connections

[@Versatilty]

I had already thought that the 2025 line up would be Saniz and Zhou but 2026 was the bigger question in my opinion.

[@nanalele117]

He’s def one of the most underrated drivers on track, he got second place in F2 but there’re a lot of good drivers in F1 now who didn’t even get second place during their time in F2

[@quentinhirschfeld9382]

Except he spent 3 years in F2 and still didn't came close to win the title.

[@nanalele117]

@@quentinhirschfeld9382 yah and you make it sounds like all of the F1 drivers had won a F2 title before or had the ability to win a title during their time in F2 lmao, if winning a F2 title means everything, then followed ur logic, a lot of drivers on the F1 grid now didn’t deserve their seats too, which is ofc wrong, you clearly didn’t understand what I’m trying to say

[@nanalele117]

@@quentinhirschfeld9382 also the sauber cars def didn’t show the ability and potential of their two drivers, so prob the team had a bigger issues then the drivers😂

[@standotheguy]

I mean, it is called the Audi Shanghai Circuit

[@TheAlexDekker]

Worth mentioning at the part where you talk about Aston Martin sales, that the second biggest shareholder (behind Stroll) of Aston Martin, is Geely, the Chinese car manufacturer!

[@Moray2023]

Zhou is beating a Bottas who is very much half arsing his driving at the moment. I think if both drivers leave Haas, he's a good, now experienced option there, but Audi need to be more ambitious like this. Or they'll just end up with a Toyota F1 line up.

[@Sam_bcafc]

He’s been getting battered by bottas for 2 years

[@nashespiritu]

Tommo you and I both love that RS4

[@parsdeeth]

Geely also own Zeekr, the ev brand Zhou is ambassador of. Zhou to Alpine through Renault-Geely connection is a possibility, assuming Renault will not sell the team in near future. In fact Geely also own 17% of Aston Martin (the car company, not the F1 team). If Lance somehow decides to leave F1 or Alonso goes to Mercedes or Red Bull or even retires, Zhou to Aston Martin is not that far fetched.

[@d.b.cooper1]

Gwaan son. In a sport full of middle class southern nancys we in Yorkshire will happily claim Zhou cause he moved to sheffield in his early teens! The boy from Shanghai by way of Yorkshire. Zhou’s done well imo and seriously goes under the radar

[@O530CarrisPT_C2]

I think Guanyu Zhou is better positioned at Haas to replace KMag, or to replace Hulk if he goes to Audi, with the other seat being for Ollie Bearman.

[@seamussynnott921]

Smooth ad transition ngl

[@agonzo626]

I could see Zhou and Sainz as the Audi F1 drivers.

[@henrying8969]

If Sainz takes it, it’d actually be a solid lineup.

[@mingshili9769]

Zhou could actually be in Audi, but Sainz probably not. Simply because sauber hasn't prove it can be podium competitor, judging from 2022 to now, sauber is a team that failed to develope a fast car, very weak in-season developing ability, always slow on tire change, no competitive CTO, the whole team starts from a relativly low level and doesn't looks like they will get better very soon. Zhou is a solid midfield drive who is about average in any aspect, that means he might not have a chance to go to the best few teams, but more than enough to just to stick around, obiviously Sainz is a better driver, and Sauber doesn't deserve him, even with audi come in I can hardly imagine they improve a lot, Sainz is a smart guy who won't waste his time, most likely Sauber will be his last choice if no other team take him.

[@pancon5]

I'd like to see Zhou, Sargeant, Danny Ric and Bottas make way for Lawson, Bearman, Pourchaire, Vesti, Drugovich...

[@Elaina_Barkhorn]

Pourchaire not really, other rookies are pretty strong

[@adrianstipanec7846]

Pourchaire literally won the title wtf are u on about

[@davicee.]

...so? Someone like Leimer did as well brother ​@@adrianstipanec7846

[@davicee.]

Brother Zhou literally beat Drugovich when they were teammates. And Pourchaire is straight up a dumbass in my eyes

[@pancon5]

@@davicee. Maybe they can go fast on an F1 car, maybe not, hopefully they'll get their chance at some point.

[@cristiandumitrescu1744]

Makes sense but if you aim to be a top team like the current top team you can't rely in a pay driver (except Stroll but we all now the situation). Even if you pair Sainz (which is the free driver that I rate the most)with Zhou it's not in my top 5 line-ups (maybe is 7th after Ferrari Merc,McLaren, RedBull,Alpine and Aston Martin). If I think about my perfect f1 lineups, he is outside the top 20

[@AnimaDweller]

Zhou is the perfect driver for Haas, he has financiar backing and is quite capable. Audi really need a Germán driver and an already proven driver such as Carlos, Checo, etc. Hiwever Zhou has a better shot at staying than Bottas. Love Valtteri and Im glad he's happy, but you can make the argument that Bottas is no longer that interested in being a WDC someday

[@LimitPro1]

Haas only want Bearman

[@turbo_brian]

Oscar's off track value is high imo. You can't have low off track value when you made the greatest tweet of all time in the history of the sport. Straight goated tweet.

[@SamuelSantos_]

4:08 A man of culture I see

[@danonthestrings]

I get mad V&R Spicebomb Infrared vibes from the thumbnail 😂

[@martinavery3979]

Not sure about him staying at Sauber, dependes on who they can actually get, but Alpine & Aston are trying to sell cars in China, so, incidentally, are Honda

[@李海月-x4c]

Zhou is a really good one for mid team as a 2rd driver. This car in Sauber is limiting his real speed now. Also the tirechanger😂 He has the real stable pace in sunday. And the Quali needs to improve for sure. Considering the Chinese market behind him,I think Tommo is right🎉

[@Phantom-mg5cg]

I think Audi should try to get Sainz and Hülkenberg. If they could get any of the seven top drivers aside from Sainz, they should prefer him over Hülkenberg. If Audi doesn’t get one of these top-7 and also doesn’t get either Sainz or Hülkenberg (e.g. one of them joins Mercedes) Zhou would be a good solid option. Zhou really surprised me in a positive way, I expected him to be much weaker.

[@giorgoskonomis5769]

Theo Pourchaire deserves more that seat

[@Hmhm_racer]

you know his standing in super formula?

[@TommoMcCluskey]

I agree.

[@ic3man]

I beg to differ, Théo Pourchaire reminds me of Josef Newgarden and Pastor Maldonado, really fast drivers who are unfortunately crash prone.

[@tbmofoulprinceromero]

​@@Hmhm_racerYou know Zhou never won F2 championship while Pourchaire did?

[@tyriewei4529]

@@tbmofoulprinceromero Still behind ''Juju'

[@wurick]

As Chinese F1 fans, we worry a lot about the seat of Zhou. Audi may wouldn't take the marketing staff too seriously cau in China there aren't many people watching F1. Very rare in fact, so no expected huge impact on car market.

[@billhoult3262]

While I don't think Zhou is strong enough to lead the team, and I think Pourchaire and Maloney show greater potential, I do think Sauber should prioritise Zhou over a Bottas who is clearly past it. Sauber need to steal a driver that a better team kicks out to led them.

[@Hmhm_racer]

look at pou at super formula, and he never beaten zhou

[@Elaina_Barkhorn]

pourchaire not really

[@billhoult3262]

@@Hmhm_racer Pourchaire finished 2nd in F3 in his first year, 2nd in F2 in his 2nd season, and 1st in his 3rd season. Zhou did 3 years in F3 and never finished higher than 8th, and only finished 3rd in his 3rd season in F2. I don't think Pourchaire is great, but he's only 20 (same age as Maloney) and has a better Junior record than Zhou.

[@Hmhm_racer]

@@billhoult3262 F2's field of depth is different every year. Just look at Drugovich compared w. Zhou and Pou like I said and you will understand. Zhou was the rookie of the year, and Pou was not. I have done analysis on rookie of the year and they are actually better than repeat year champions for getting into F1 and staying in F1. Countless examples like Yuki vs. Devreis, or even why Drug Pou Patano Leimer Valeschi never gotten to F1

[@spaceboy_22]

this is exactly what i thought about in shower yesterday… are you inside my walls?

[@bzilla-d4i]

Zhou is an ok driver, he hasn't been as massively overshadowed by his teammate as the joke that is Logan Sargeant

[@TommoMcCluskey]

He's decent. Nothing earthshattering. But decent.

[@customizablebunny]

He needs to go, give spots to better young drivers

[@TommoMcCluskey]

I wouldn't be against that. But business talks.

[@bzilla-d4i]

If anyone needs to go it's that joke called Logan Sargeant, at least Zhou keeps up with Bottas. Logan gets massively overshadowed 1 point Vs 28 is a joke.

[@Takingyoutojail]

@@bzilla-d4iThat’s a literally harsh no, it was his rookie season, ofc Albon wiped the floor with him Judge him after this year I am aware I may be biased because I’m American

[@bzilla-d4i]

@@Takingyoutojail buddy not even Zhou did as bad as that, not Yuki not Zhou, not even Latifi did as bad and Latifi had a worse car

[@jkliao6486]

@@TakingyoutojailThat's a literally no-brainer yes. Zhou scored more points and kept up with Bottas in his first season and now you think he should be gone? I'm aware of bias because I'm Chinese, but I didn't realize the bias can be this strong with you that you are willing to straight up lie to make a point.

[@chamindujanith6337]

Bro is 14-32 Qualifying H2H down on Bottas. He isn't a good option at all. Or deserve to remain in the team over Bottas. But it would be a shame if both drivers get replaced at the end of this year and cannot find another F1 seat. That would make these 3 years a total waste. Like the Raikkonen-Giovinazzi lineup.

[@chroman_8432]

Don't sleep on Maloney

[@skylerlavy]

I love Zhou, I think for marketing he's perfect, and I do believe that he has the Talent to be a great 2nd driver. But in the long run I don't think Zhou will keep that seat, there's plenty of young drivers who deserve a seat.

[@purwantiallan5089]

I think Audi with Hulkenberg and Zhou could be a good choice.

[@GeliCarlosJ]

I wish i had a hype man like Tommo. Hyping up these mid af drivers (not bad or terrible just average) for seats where there's plenty of better options. First Ocon now Zhou 😂

[@quentinhirschfeld9382]

Ocon: -Only driver from a very poor background that made it to the grid. -Beat Wherlein with 0 preparation at Manor (he arrived at Spa). -Progressively took the upper hand on Pérez in 2017 (he was upgrading each races, it was crazy) -Beat Pérez 16-6 in qualifying in 2018 as well as 9-5 in the races (but was incredibly unlucky) -After a frul year on the sideline, he came back at Renault and closed the gap to Ricciardo -Won a race in 2021 and was this close from climbing on the podium in Saudi Arabia -Beat Alonso in 2022 (with a lot of luck, yes, but the dude was very close pace wise) -Qualified 3rd (on merit) in Monaco and then finished the race 3rd with an Alpine. -4-0 against Gasly this season and 2 2Q with the worst car of the grid -Statistically, he's one of the drivers that has the least % of crashes on the grid If after the, you believe he's 'just an average driver', then you're clueless.

[@VWT3SyncroDoka5E]

@9:43 isn't it also known (coincidentally?) as the Shanghai Audi International Circuit?

[@TyagiAviral]

Tommo be cooking British meal this time

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Don't diss Sausage & Mash 😍

[@Zack_F1]

​@@TommoMcCluskey🐐

[@andysiu1994]

I can't fouce on the video because of the Gran Turismo music LOL

[@deonli8014]

Volkswagen Audi has strong tie with China, it is totally possible.

[@JS-te2vj]

I get he is commercially valuable, but tbf, he took a pretty long while in F2 to get his superlicense, in pretty decent teams too. He's not bad, sure, but he'll be no more than a Marcus Ericsson in terms of history book impact😅

[@mico4297]

1:28 "oscar piastri low-key off track" he is like a god in Australia 💀

[@thebateman761]

How popular is he compared to DR or Webber

[@mico4297]

@@thebateman761 very popular the aussie media has been hyping up a no existing rivalry between him and danny ric its seen as the young gun vs the veteran. And today in quali there was so many papya hats. But danny ric is ofc a little more popular because he's been around longer and idk about mark webber but he's very respected here.

[@Gauss922]

Audi should get top tier drivers if it wants to be taken seriously and win things, just like Mercedes did in 2010

[@britcedes4481]

i usually really like your takes but if you (and a lot of people) paid attention to sauber a bit more you would see that their quali head to head isn't that close. its 17-3 to bottas in the last 20 races, who has had lap one damage at so many events from last year to this year as well

[@ic3man]

Aston Martin went for Sebastian Vettel mainly because of Aston Martin’s popularity in Germany.

[@numbbutbro]

He is SUCH an underrated driver.

[@MichaelTarailo-st1nv]

April fools. Right?

[@relaxedpenny604]

​@@MichaelTarailo-st1nvwhy is he not? Everyone shits on him even when he's matching or even beating bottas. Genuinely a consistent presence in sauber.

[@davidmaslenka5940]

You kidding right ?

[@isaacm2374]

How? Zhou Lost every year to Bottas in overall race, points and championship standing. If Zhou is talented he should at least beating a driver who spends more time advertising and enjoying off track activities. The bar is so low.

[@thebateman761]

​@relaxedpenny604 the bottas in question doesn't give a shit rn, its not like he's beating prime bottas

[@BL4K_B4BIES]

Its a shame we never got hamilton and russle battling for the title like with rosberg

[@robertthorne3429]

Alpine I recon, Zhou is a good driver for sure however Audi want to come out the gates competitive and Zhou I don’t recon is the driver to grab a podium here and there. However, if there was a team on the grid that have made it painfully clear that they are only there to sell their cars… hello alpine

[@maxim.p6014]

Wait did you put Gran turismo 4 music in the beginning?

[@victoryswe4159]

cause its goated?

[@paidquartz]

I may be just alone in this, but I'll get my hands on a brand-new RS7 if Audi signs Zhou for 2026.

[@FledgedPhoenix]

I would love to see Sainz and Perez on the team.

[@7BD273]

how much did he pay you

[@purple4395]

He's not a Sargent but tbh he didn't perform on a level that such an ambitious new team wants.

[@Slipstream_merchant]

Paid driver, not good enough for F1. Barely beats Bottas and Bottas is just chilling.

[@KenanJHS]

Literally

[@oscarthomasfifa4871]

When has he even beaten bottas? It wasn’t even close last year in either qualy or race finishes

[@TommoMcCluskey]

There's drivers who deserve his seat more for sure. He can hold his own - but he's not near to one of the 20 best.

[@tiwaimachaya6676]

Audi don't need Zhou despite the Chinese market talk they have a well funded organisational structure and need 2 outstanding drivers

[@Slipstream_merchant]

@@TommoMcCluskey I’d have Sainz paired with a German, whether that’s Hulk / Wehrlein / Mick.

[@siyabongantombela1762]

Finding Zhou content is such a hassle 😅😅

[@tuomasholo]

IMHO I predict Oscar will win a race before Lando.

[@caterinavega4228]

There is a decent driver in Zhou but he just doesn't have it. Always something cursed happens to him, he for whatever reason in 3-4 seasons has not shown something special that makes people sit up and go "woah that was impressive". I'd say Yuki is the perfect fit for Audi's first few seasons. He has shown he can fight and get points consistantly in the midfield, he's exciting, good value and a mix of youth and experience. Sainz and Yuki would be a strong line up. Or if Sainz does not want to waste his prime years in the midfield, Hulk and Yuki is also a strong midfield line up.

[@Account-cz5cs]

Bizzare take. It’s genuinely like I’m watching a different sport sometimes Zhou is far from the perfect driver for Audi. Genuinely curious to what you see in bottas to say that he’ll ever get close to Bottas prime levels, bottas used to beat Lewis Hamilton in quali every now and then. An Alex palou bizzare mention once again just tops it off

[@remcoasselbergs3298]

Zhou can explode chinese market and, maybe, there is a chinese driver that is that good (to win races) emerges without f4, f3, f2 support companies. It is difficult for chinese drivers to step into those series.. so who knowa: but Zhou is a chinese posterboy..

[@zoelotero]

If you want a pay driver for the Chinese market, maybe. But a manufacturer team competing for championships shouldn't be keeping one of the worst drivers on the grid, on one of the most competitive grids of all time from a talent standpoint, having the chance to have the likes of Sainz, Hulkenberg, Albon, Pérez, Pourchaire and a long etc who will likely perform way better than Zhou will if he gets an Audi seat; hell, even Bottas is a better option performance wise. If we're taking about the grid in general, particularly teams such as Haas or even Williams, I can see why he'd be a good option. But based on his performance Zhou shouldn't have made it past last year, let alone be a driver for a project that wants to win races and championships and has so many good drivera gunning for their seat.

[@jamesmorgan1142]

If audi are going full ev why did they axe they're formula e team from a few years ago? Seems an odd decision. Also I'm sure if they kept they're hypercar program they could've gotten a hell of a lot more of publicity

[@caphowdy666]

Marque is pronounced Mark not Marquee. Marquee is somewhere you host an event.

[@axelrubiocarrillo9719]

Sainz to Redbull 2025 return of the prodigal son

[@realms4879]

He has to prove himself first this season

[@ItachiGT]

Lol P19 He is one of the Top3 slowest drivers on the grid right now. NO WAY Audi will get him. He would be already out of seat in 2024 if Sauber managed to get Hulkenberg, which Haas did not want.

[@quentinhirschfeld9382]

Zhou isn't that far form matching Bottas' qualifying pace on average, Bottas is one of the fastest drivers on the grid over one lap (although he's probably not at his best). His race pace is also often in the same tenth as Bottas, personally i'd put him above Sargeant, Stroll, current Ricciardo and even Magnussen on some track.

[@SebaCespedesCL]

If Audi needs a forgettable driver...sure, Zhou is the man for the job

[@tumigameplays7149]

Notification gang CHECKING IN!

[@johnpatricklim4509]

I mean...Audi has a huge market in China....some of the models they have are only available in China....

[@LPChipi]

This video is sponsored by... Zhouspace

[@evonne_o]

What about Carlos? Where he goes?