Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber will make a welcome return to Shanghai, as the Chinese Grand Prix returns for the first time since 2019.

It will be a special occasion for the team and, of course, for local hero, Zhou Guanyu, who will be the first Chinese driver to compete in an F1 race on home soil. As Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber continues to target progress, this setting would be even more special to open the team's tally for the season.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: "Shanghai is an opportunity to get back to action and getting on the scoreboard. We feel confidence within the team growing and we want to harness it to get the results we expect. These last few weeks were an opportunity to work hard, together with our drivers, to extract even more performance from our car. We can see the car is improving with every round and we know we can string everything together and have a good result. Shanghai is the first Sprint weekend of the year, which is also an opportunity for something to mix up the order: we are looking forward to it. Returning to China is a great moment for our team and our sport as a whole: not only we celebrate Zhou's first ever home race - we expect an incredible welcome for him and the team - but also the return of Formula One is one of the most populous countries in the planet, which is a must for a World Championship. We know the grandstands will be full and we hope the show will be great."

Valtteri Bottas: "It's great to be back in Shanghai. It's a good track to drive on and I've missed being here: it's a place where races can have a lot of action, as we have seen in many occasions - such as the last time we raced here, back in 2019. With Zhou racing the first home grand prix for a Chinese driver ever, I am sure we'll feel the extra love and support from the fans, which will make coming back here even more special. The team is working really hard to progress: in Suzuka, we showed strong race pace and we were in the fight for points until nearly the very end of the race, so we have a base to build on. The team at the factory continued working on our car and we'll double down on our efforts to fight for points this weekend. I can't wait to see our colours in the grandstands and put up a great show for our Chinese fans."

Zhou Guanyu: "I couldn't be more excited to finally race on home soil in Shanghai. To be the first Chinese driver ever to compete in Formula 1 in China means a lot to me - it fills me with immense joy, pride and responsibility. It isn't just a race for me: after four years off the calendar, the championship finally returns, and with a Chinese driver on the grid, we will write history. It's an opportunity to inspire and pave the path for future generations being interested in the sport: we saw the passion that awaits us when the tickets went on sale, and were fully sold out within hours - my country loves racing and has been waiting for this moment for years. For me, though, the focus remains on performance: once I get to the track, I will treat this as any other weekend, and work hard to extract the most out of the car. I can't wait to give it my all, share the passion with our entire team trackside and at home, and start a new chapter of Chinese motorsport together with the crowd. Most importantly, though, I can't wait to have a good race and get back to scoring points."