Audi F1 hopeful eyeing negotiation ‘reset’ after Binotto arrival

Zhou Guanyu has stated the change in leadership at the Stake team ahead of its transition to Audi offers a “reset” as he aims to seal a drive going forward.

Zhou is in his third season with the Sauber-owned team that changed from Alfa Romeo to Stake for the current season.

Further changes are set for 2026 as Audi will take over the organisation, with ex-F1 Mattia Binotto brought in to lead the team following the sudden exits of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann.

With Binotto now the key figure leading the Audi F1 project, Zhou admitted it presents an opportunity to refresh negotiations over an F1 seat for next year.

“I think with what they want to have, in terms of their goal and for the future, for next year and also for when the Audi factory team arrives, it’s definitely going to be a little bit different,” Zhou told media including RacingNews365 of the changes at the team.

“I don’t have anything, [no] news, because Mattia is not really joining the team until next week.

“For me, it’s definitely a reset for the management group of people, try to talk differently and to understand exactly what values you can bring and what they want to you to have.

“Things definitely will be changing around a bit more than what was planned before but for myself, I don’t think it changed a lot the overall story or the future.”

Binotto and Zhu need no introduction

It will not mark the first time Zhou has worked with Binotto, as the Chinese driver was part of the Ferrari driver academy for several years before joining F1.

Binotto worked in key engineering roles before being promoted to the role of Ferrari team principal in 2019.

Zhou asserted he will need to introduce himself to the Italian when he starts work at the team later this week.

“I know him from a few years ago already when he was at Ferrari,” he said. “So he’s not someone I’ve never spoken to.

“It’s not somebody very new that I need to introduce myself a lot. I think he already knows myself and also we know him as well.”