Watch: Valtteri Bottas and Sauber's hilarious video wishing Zhou Guanyu a happy birthday
Valtteri Bottas wished Zhou Guanyu a happy birthday in hilarious fashion. The Chinese driver turned 25 on May 30, 2024.
Bottas and Zhou have been teammates since 2022, the year when the former left Mercedes to join Sauber and the latter entered F1 for the first time. Though both have largely struggled over the last two years, often finishing in the lower half of the grid, they share a great bond. They have frequently stated that their on and off-track relationship has been great.
On May 30, Stake F1 team's official X account posted a video of how Valtteri Bottas tried wishing his teammate a happy birthday in Chinese. At first, Bottas tried to say the words but fumbled in between. Both he and the team members had a chuckle.
After hearing the translation once again, the Finnish driver said the entire sentence and wished Zhou Guanyu on his 25th birthday.
Bottas and Zhou are 20th and 19th, respectively, in the 2024 F1 drivers' championship table with zero points after eight races.
Zhou Guanyu on how his relationship with Valtteri Bottas has evolved
Last month, Zhou Guanyu talked about how his relationship with Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas evolved over two years.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Zhou mentioned that Bottas was still eager to share his experience and knowledge of racecraft with him and the team. He highlighted the Finn's dedication to improving Sauber's overall performance in F1.
"What I do say for him is that he is still there, to share information to be able to make a step together, try to improve as a team, improve our package all the way around," Zhou explained (42:47).
Later on, Zhou mentioned how the competition between him and Bottas has intensified compared to their first year as teammates. However, he clarified that there have not been any clever or sly mind games between the two.
"And definitely, let’s say, the first year compared to now, it’s a bit more intense…always fighting a bit more on track. So we always do the right thing, and whoever can perform can come out on top. So there’s no, let’s say, too clever, or eager feeling between any of us, even in the racecraft – you know, if one guy is ahead, the other guy trying to use him to protect a little bit to help his race, if we’re only fighting for the final spot," he added.
As Sauber gradually merges with Audi before 2026, both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu's seats are at risk. The team recently announced that they will hire Nico Hulkenberg in 2025, but have yet to specify which of the two current drivers will leave the team.