Zhou Guanyu has re-signed for Alfa Romeo for the 2024 season as part of an unchanged line-up for the Formula One team.

The Swiss outfit made the announcement on the eve of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with Valtteri Bottas keeping his seat, and 2023 FIA F2 championship leader Théo Pourchaire returning as one of its reserve drivers.

Alfa said the decision to keep the drivers together for a third year reflected the stability it wanted to keep within the team, and had been working on for the past two seasons.

In a press release, the manufacturer said Zhou had shown progress in his second season showing “maturity and a methodical approach that won him even more supporters within the team”.

The decision to keep the Chinese driver was “a natural conclusion” to the extension of their partnership.

“Signing again with the team is always a great feeling, especially when we know how things are shaping up,” Zhou said.

“I am proud to be part of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake and grateful for their trust: I have been working extremely hard since day one, and there is an incredible level of motivation to keep doing so every day forward.”

Keeping Zhou in the car means he is likely to get the chance to race in front of his home fans when F1 returns to Shanghai next year, something the 24-year-old said he was “very excited” about.

“It will be a great moment, and I’m proud to be able to share it with all those who have supported me.”

Bottas, who has a contract with the team through to 2025, said he was “happy and grateful” to be approaching next year with a “good atmosphere in the squad”.

“There is an impressive amount of work going on behind the scenes, in Hinwil and beyond, and now that the line-up is set for next year, we can focus fully on improving, starting this weekend in Singapore already,” he said.

“Every step forward we make is a step forward for this year and next, so we are motivated to give everything we have every time we’re trackside or at the factory.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kwLG70a1mn6eiosKtrYyopZ5llmZ8or7TopqlnV9of3SAlG9saJ6fp7q2uMBmpqedXZi1qrrArGSzoJ%2BqeqjBwKewrmWVrcGmusOsZKyska56orjFmmSrp52avG7Ax6umrp%2BYYn9xfpNmqp6Zo6S7brzAq6tmrZ6YtaK6xp6bZpyinsOmvg%3D%3D