Beijing, November 17, 2017 : .Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu will compete for Alfa Romeo during the 2022 Formula 1 season.
The announcement was made by the Swiss-based team.In doing so, Zhou will become the first driver from China to race in the Formula 1 world championship.
Zhou Guanyu will be the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1’s world championship. The 22-year-old currently sits second in the 2021 Formula 2 championship and had been widely tipped to land a seat at Alfa for several months, with the Shanghai-born driver said to be bringing considerable commercial backing with him.He currently holds second place in 2021 Formula 2 Championship and was widely expected to win a seat at Alfa.The driver, who is a Shanghai-born man, has been widely anticipated to bring significant commercial backing.
“I dreamed from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true,” Zhou said in an Alfa Romeo statement on Tuesday evening.Zhou stated in an Alfa Romeo statement Tuesday night that he had always longed to climb as high as possible in the sport he loves.
“To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula 1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history.It is an historic moment in Chinese motorsport history to be the first Chinese Formula 1 driver.I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.”.It is clear that there are many hopes and I am confident in my ability to achieve them.
Zhou will partner 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas, whose move to Alfa from reigning champions Mercedes was announced earlier this year, Xinhua reports.
Zhou will be partnered by Valtteri bottas (10-time Grand Prix winner), whose switch to Alfa from Mercedes reigning champions was reported earlier in the year.Xinhua says Zhou is a partner.
In joining Alfa, Zhou will cut his ties with Alpine’s junior driver programme, which he had joined in 2019 with the hope of stepping up to F1 with the French outfit.Zhou has joined Alfa to cut ties with Alpine’s Junior Driver Program, which he signed up for in 2019, with hopes of moving up to F1 with French outfit.
The Chinese driver had tested extensively for Alpine in two-year old machinery, and took part in an F1 practise session for the first time at this year’s Austrian GP, when he took over Fernando Alonso’s car.After extensive testing for Alpine on two-year-old machinery, the Chinese driver took part in an F1 practice session at this year’s Austrian GP.He also took over Fernando Alonso’s car.However, with Alonso and fellow incumbent Esteban Ocon set to continue racing for Alpine next year, Zhou was obliged to look elsewhere for a seat on the 2022 grid.Zhou had to search elsewhere to secure a place on the grid for 2022, as Esteban Ocon and Alonso were set to race for Alpine next year.
Zhou and Bottas will form an all-new lineup for Alfa Romeo next year, with the pair replacing Antonio Giovinazzi and the retiring Kimi Raikkonen.
Zhou and Bottas are joining an entirely new lineup at Alfa Romeo in the next year.They will replace Antonio Giovinazzi, and retiring Kimi Raikkonen.
News of Zhou’s move to Alfa was welcomed by many within the F1 paddock, given the Shanghai native’s potential to raise the profile of the sport in the lucrative Chinese market.Many in F1 were happy to hear Zhou was moving to Alfa, as he has the potential to elevate the sport’s profile in China’s lucrative Chinese market.
“This is fantastic news for F1 and the millions of passionate Chinese fans that now have a home hero to cheer all year long,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said, “This is great news for F1 as well as the millions of Chinese fans who now have someone to cheer on all year.” “Zhou is an incredible talent and he will be a fantastic addition to the amazing grid we have and he will entertain and keep all our Chinese fans excited in 2022.”.Zhou has an amazing talent.He will make a great addition to our grid and will keep Chinese fans excited for 2022.
Zhou admitted it “feels so unreal but exciting” to have secured the last available seat for the 2022 F1 season.Zhou acknowledged that it was “unreal, but thrilling” to be able to secure the final available F1 seat in 2022.”It feels like something I’ve been longing for was finally realised.It feels like I finally got what I wanted.It means a lot to me.”.This means so much to me.”
Born in 1999, Zhou first hit the track in go-karts at the age of seven.Zhou was born in 1999 and first took to the tracks in go-karts when he was seven years old.In order to pursue a better development in motorsport, Zhou left his hometown of Shanghai at age 11 to study and train in the UK.Zhou moved to the UK at 11 years old to further his motorsport career.Zhou initially joined the Ferrari Driver Academy before switching to the Alpine Academy (formerly the Renault Sport Academy) in 2019, when he debuted in Formula 2.Zhou started at the Ferrari Driver Academy, but he later switched to the Alpine Academy (previously the Renault Sport Academy), in 2019.In 2019, Zhou made his debut in Formula 2.
Now in his third season of F2, Zhou has been a title contender since claiming his first feature race win in the first round at Sakhir (Bahrain), along with another feature race victory at Silverstone and a sprint race win at Monte Carlo.Zhou is now in F2’s third season and has been an F2 title contender ever since winning his first feature racing win in Sakhir (Bahrain) along with a feature race win at Silverstone, as well as a win in the sprint race at Monte Carlo.
Currently 36 points behind leader Oscar Piastri, who was announced as Alpine’s test driver for next season, second-placed Zhou still has a chance of winning the F2 championship with two rounds remaining.With two rounds left, Zhou, who is currently 36 points behind Oscar Piastri as leader, was named Alpine’s Test Driver for the next season.Zhou’s current success comes off the back of a 2020 campaign that he calls “by far the most difficult season for me”.Zhou is ecstatic about his current successes, citing a 2020 campaign as “by far my most challenging season”.
Despite winning the sprint race in Sochi to take his first win in the series, multiple retirements due to mechanical failures only led to a sixth-place finish in the drivers’ standings.Zhou won the Sochi sprint race to claim his first victory in the series.
However, multiple mechanical problems forced him to retire to sixth place in the driver’s standings.
“When you, as a driver, have done everything right, some uncontrollable factors make you lose a lot of points, especially in such an important year or two.Even though you have done your best as a driver and are doing everything correctly, there will be times when you fall short of what you need, particularly in an important year.It was quite a blow.This was truly a crushing blow.But now looking back at last year, these difficulties also let me grow up a lot, especially in the psychological aspect and in my self-adjustment,” Zhou noted.Zhou said that looking back on last year’s experiences, I can see how these challenges helped me to grow a lot in many areas, including my psychological side and self-adjustment.”The experience has also helped me to show my strength in the most complete way this year, so it is also a process of growth.”.The experience helped me show my strength the best this year.
It is also a growth process.
Just like this year’s Haas pair of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou secured enough Super License points to allow him to progress into F1.Zhou, like the Haas team of Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Takada this year, was able to earn enough Super License points for him to move into F1.”The road to F1 is very difficult, all of which takes a lot of time and effort, which is why I personally feel it might be worth more now than before,” Zhou said.Zhou stated that the road to F1 can be very challenging, and requires a lot more effort.”For Chinese drivers, the process will only be more difficult, because there was no guide to tell me how to choose the best path, so I had to explore all the possibilities with my team.”.The process for Chinese drivers will be even more challenging, as there is no way to guide me.So I explored all options with my team.
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