P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Zhou Guanyu will depart the Stake F1 team at the end of the season with Gabriel Bortoleto signed to the second seat at the squad.
Zhou Guanyu expressed relief after learning he will leave Stake F1 at the end of the season. Stake recently announced signing Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto for their 2026 transition to Audi, leading to Zhou’s and Valtteri Bottas’s departure. Zhou acknowledged that he anticipated the news due to the team dynamics and ongoing delays. Despite a challenging season with minimal success, Zhou views the team’s decision as a chance to reset and hopes to return to the grid in the future. His departure from Stake F1 marks the end of a three-year stint where he struggled to perform competitively.