Zhou Guanyu Is About to Make Formula 1 History

After 72 years, over a whole lot of races and 776 drivers later, Formulation 1 will for the primary time have a Chinese language racer in a Grand Prix.

Zhou Guanyu, 22, will be part of the Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas on the Alfa Romeo F1 Workforce this season.

“We welcome Zhou, who will present an thrilling alternative to have interaction and develop our fan base in China,” mentioned Stefano Domenicali, the chief govt of Formulation 1.

Zhou, of Shanghai, was 5 when Formulation 1 launched the Chinese language Grand Prix in his dwelling metropolis in 2004. Zhou attended, was hooked and returned one yr later waving a flag in help of Fernando Alonso, whom he’ll now race in opposition to.

Zhou started karting when he was 8, however in a rustic the place motorsport was comparatively immature.

“The largest factor is [China] had no chief in motorsport,” Zhou mentioned. “There’s nobody who has been in Formulation 1, who can take that have and share with [others] the way to develop.”

Zhou moved to England at 12 and finally to London, the place he nonetheless lives.

“I went from profitable every thing again dwelling to turning into a midfield runner,” Zhou mentioned, upon becoming a member of the aggressive path towards Formulation 1. “I needed to practice tougher. I received titles in karting, then obtained into components racing and obtained concerned with junior packages of Formulation 1 groups.”

Zhou rose by means of Formulation 4 and Formulation 3, guided by Ferrari, and finally graduated to Formulation 2, switching to Renault’s younger driver program. He was this system’s lead rookie in 2019, however some poor leads to 2020 slowed his progress.

“I used to be so shut, but in addition up to now,” he mentioned. “After F2, the subsequent step is F1, otherwise you’re completed, the door is closed.”

Zhou stayed in F2 in 2021, received 4 races and completed third within the championship, with Alfa Romeo recruiting him for 2022.

He has chosen 24 as his race quantity, a tribute to Kobe Bryant, the N.B.A. star who died in 2020. “I watched it since I used to be very younger,” he mentioned, including that “all my footwear in junior college” had been impressed by Bryant.

Whereas Zhou will carry China to Formulation 1 this yr, Formulation 1 will stay absent from China. The Chinese language Grand Prix in Shanghai has been canceled for the third straight yr due to the nation’s strict Covid coverage.

“I’m gutted I’m not going dwelling,” mentioned Zhou, who has not returned to Shanghai since mid-2020. He has seen the frenzied reception obtained by the world champion Max Verstappen within the Netherlands, and by Sergio Pérez in Mexico.

“Prior to now, we didn’t have a countryman,” he mentioned. “For the longer term it will be superb to see extra [Chinese] folks racing.”

Zhou is Formulation 1’s solely rookie this yr.

“Whenever you be part of F1, the problem is mega, and although F2 is getting nearer and nearer to the highest degree, F1 continues to be one other world,” mentioned Frédéric Vasseur, the staff principal of Alfa Romeo. “You might have numerous issues to find; you want a very new strategy with the automotive, you might have new tracks to be taught; you might have a staff with 600 folks, up from 16; each single subject is totally different.”

Zhou started working with Alfa Romeo, which completed ninth final yr, solely in December, however Vasseur mentioned preliminary indicators had been encouraging.

“He has a really good perspective, however can be pushy, and it’s an excellent mixture,” Vasseur mentioned. “He is aware of completely nicely that it is going to be a problem, and that is necessary, however I believe that Valtteri and everybody within the staff is able to assist him. He has a really open thoughts, and I’m positive that he’ll succeed.”

Even simply lining up on the grid can be a dream for Zhou. Final July, he drove for the Alpine F1 Workforce throughout observe on the Austrian Grand Prix.

“Once I did a observe session, it felt particular, prefer it wasn’t actual,” he mentioned. “Whenever you do a cool-down lap, see others approaching, and it’s [Lewis] Hamilton, [Sebastian] Vettel, these are names you hear on TV. To be on the identical weekend is sort of loopy. To compete, racing with them, goes to be superb.

“From the suggestions I obtained, there’s constructive vibes again dwelling,” he mentioned. “It provides me that vitality to hold the nation on my shoulders. I’m right here in F1, and I need to do nicely right here and make folks proud.”