Alfa Romeo Sauber has announced that Zhou Guanyu will remain with the team for a second Formula 1 season, in 2023.

Zhou has scored six points so far in this, his rookie campaign, after finishing third in last year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship.

The deal means Alfa Romeo Sauber will take an unchanged line-up into next year, with Valtteri Bottas on a multi-year contract which began this year.

Team Principal Frederic Vasseur said, “I am looking forward to continuing working with Zhou.

“From day one with the team, at the Abu Dhabi test last year, he has impressed me with his approach to work and this is always a very positive trait.

“We knew he was quick, but the way he adapted to Formula 1 in such a short time has been one of the best surprises of our season.

“He is a very nice guy, everyone in the team likes both his personality and attitude.

“He has had the humility to ask questions and learn, from the engineers as well as Valtteri, and the intelligence to apply all the information he got to improve race after race.

“He will have this experience to draw on next season, and I am sure he will make another step forward as we continue to grow our team.”

Zhou himself, “I am happy and grateful to Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN for the opportunity to be part of the team for another season.

“Making it to Formula 1 was a dream come true and the feeling of competing for the first time in a race will live with me forever: the team has been incredibly supportive, welcoming me from day one and helping me adapt to the most complex series in motorsport.

“There is more that I want to achieve in this sport and with the team, and the hard work we have put together since the start of the year is just the first step towards where we want to be next season.

“There is still a lot to learn, a lot to develop but I am confident in our work: I am looking forward to the next chapter of our story together.”

The 2022 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend with the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay.