Now, Zhou has hit back, laughing off media speculation and he says he remains focused on proving his worth on the track.
Zhou Guanyu is out to prove his critics wrongZhou Guanyu finished 18th in the drivers' championship in 2023
Zhou: "I don't give a s***
“I don’t give a s*** about it, to be honest," he told Motorsport.com. It is like all the other crazy stuff I got when I first signed my contract.
“I was like: ‘I will just let it flow, I will make sure I do the talking on track; making sure people respect why I’m here.’ Everything’s been good since then.
“I’m just quite laid back but it’s actually quite fun at times to see some rumours because you know what’s coming – you signed the contract, there’s still rumours about other people are taking your seat.