Zhou Guanyu says he is certain his Sauber Equation 1 group can get back to its 2022 presentation level this season.
Zhou scored only six focuses in his second season in F1 in 2023, equalling his presentation year count, as the then-named Alfa Romeo group battled for seriousness with its C43 in the midst of a nearby midfield fight.
The Hinwil crew completed 10th, down from 6th in 2022 when Zhou's colleague Valtteri Bottas scored 49 focuses notwithstanding the Chinese driver's six, which was the best outcome for the Swiss group in 10 years.
In front of its Audi patch up, the Sauber group has proactively gone through a few changes in its specialized division, drove by the appearance of previous McLaren man James Key as specialized chief in September.
Addressing Chinese version, Zhou said he is sure the group can return to its 2022 presentation levels, with his extra experience permitting him to now be a lot nearer to his Finnish colleague than he was quite a while back.
"The patterns in the improvement so far are still in accordance with what we have been expecting," Zhou said. "Ideally the pre-season readiness, including the three days of testing, will permit us to set a superior bearing for the entire season.
"As the work force at the group's central command, particularly in the specialized office, are continually being added and changed, we desire to make a superior and more complete group.
"I have my confidence in the group and feel that this year we can return to the presentation level we had in my most memorable season."
At the point when asked how it had veered off-track in 2023 and when the group recognized the progressions it expected to execute for 2024, Zhou answered: "Really, around the mid year break of the 2023 season, our heading (of the turn of events) was at that point clear - where does the vehicle need hold.
"First of all in quite a while or when the track had less grasp, we frequently had less edge to work on with regards to tire temperatures than different groups, so we were unable to convey the presentation in the first and second area.
"Furthermore, there were a few vulnerabilities with the vehicle, for example, revising in the corners more often than in the 2022 season, with some surprising oversteer or understeer.
"These are things that we have been given input to James [Key]."
This year F1 will get back to China interestingly starting around 2019, and that implies Zhou will at long last get to challenge a home race, having never dashed at the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit before in any classification.
"I'm certainly glad to have my home race in Shanghai. I haven't hustled or tried there, yet to have the option to do it at home makes me anticipate it," Zhou added.
"It was a little disgrace that I've been hustling in F1 for the beyond two years [without the Chinese GP], however at long last I can satisfy this little wish in 2024 to race in my old neighborhood."
Sauber, which will run as Stake F1 Group in 2024, will send off its C44 on 5 February in London.
