DOHA - Formula One fans voted Zhou Guanyu Driver of the Day at the Qatar Grand Prix after the Chinese scored Sauber's first points of the season with eighth place in the penultimate race of the year.

The Swiss team remained firmly last in the championship but the 25-year-old, who has no seat for 2025, at least staved off a complete blank and provided some small celebration.

"Mentally, it has been a really draining season for me, for Valtteri (Bottas) and for the whole team," he told Sky Sports television.

"This was our best opportunity after an amazing Saturday performance and we wanted to show what we can do. Today's race was very clean and executed well, I think.

"There is a lot of work done that people don't see behind the scenes to just continue to be there every weekend, just hoping we will see a return. And today is the day."

Zhou has been linked in the paddock rumour-mill to a possible role at Ferrari as a reserve, where there is a vacancy with Oliver Bearman moving up to Haas, and also to GM's Cadillac entry for 2026 due to managerial connections.

"I have been missing this proper racing, wheel-to-wheel feeling for a while," he said.

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"I am just delighted to be able to do what I do best which is race wheel-to-wheel and to be there, fighting for the top 10."