Zhou Guanyu has made a quietly impressive start to his F1 career. Now, China's first F1 driver is focused on the long-term — and an elusive debut at his home race, writes LukeSmithF1.
Renault’s Alonso had just become F1’s youngest world champion, aged 25, ending Michael Schumacher’s five-year title streak. Young F1 fans at the time either supported Schumacher — the seemingly invincible, ruthless champion — or Alonso, the upstart breaking records, taking the fight to the old guard. Zhou picked the latter.He met his idol eight years later, when they were both part of a soccer match arranged by Ferrari, which Alonso raced for at the time and whose junior academy Zhou had joined.
Soon after, Zhou went from working alongside his hero to driving the man’s car at the opening practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. Given the chance to handle the pressures of a formal F1 session, Zhou’s first thought was, “I don’t want to crash this thing!” But Alonso helped him prepare and know what to expect from the car. “He was saying any question, you’re free to ask,” said Zhou. “It was nice to see help a young driver. I really appreciated it.
Zhou had proven himself as a race winner in F2, while Giovinazzi had largely underperformed in his three years in the seat. Alfa Romeo felt it was time for a change, but its decision was not without critics. Signing a Chinese driver would undoubtedly bring a financial boost to the team, given the interest of sponsors and commercial partners. In a social media post announcing his retirement, Giovinazzi made an unsubtle dig at Zhou’s signing, saying that “when money rules, can be ruthless.
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