“A rocky patch,” Zhou Guanyu compares his rookie season to Oscar Piastri’s, predicts his former teammate will excel soon

Zhou Guanyu has sympathized with his former Alpine academy teammate, Oscar Piastri for getting off to a tough start in F1.

“A rocky patch,” Zhou Guanyu compares his rookie season to Oscar Piastri’s, predicts his former teammate will excel soon

Zhou Guanyu and Oscar Piastri

Zhou Guanyu, the Alfa Romeo driver, has talked about the struggles his former Alpine academy teammate, Oscar Piastri, is going through in his first season with the Woking-based McLaren F1 team. The Chinese driver believes that despite Piastri’s shaky start to life in F1, he will soon start performing to expectations and will impress people up and down the paddock.

Zhou Guanyu made his F1 debut last year and sees a lot of similarities in the way in which his early life at the pinnacle of motor racing panned out. While talking about the same, he added, “I think it was very relative to me last year. He didn’t have the best start, but still, he showed he has the speed [particularly] in Q3 in Jeddah.”

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“That was quite impressive of him. So firstly, happy to see him, and I knew that he will be here in F1. It’s good to see him on the grid this year racing together. Apart from that, I think [he’s] just having a rocky patch you have to break through [it], and with more time, [it] just suddenly clicks inside you. I am sure in a few races, he’ll be there.”

Guanyu, on one hand, has admitted that Piastri has gotten off to a tough start in F1. Still, on the other, he ardently believes that his former Alpine academy buddy would be able to showcase his talent to the fullest in a few races time. They both were at Alpine for quite a few years, and Guanyu has seen what Oscar Piastri is capable of. Thus he has backed him to start putting the MCL60 through the wringer in the upcoming races of the sport.

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Zhou Guanyu’s opinion on his prospects in F1

Zhou Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu

F1 is getting more competitive year after year, and the competition in the drivers market is fierce for the 20 seats of the F1 grid. When it comes to Zhou Guanyu’s career in F1, he is currently contracted to Alfa Romeo until the end of the 2023 F1 campaign. He was recently asked to shed light on the same, and he said, “I’m sure that’s how it is. In other categories, you always know that if you do well, you can move up. If you make a mistake, maybe next year, you still have another chance.“

“So this sport is hard, for all the drivers, that’s how it goes, and I’m sure that the most important [thing] for drivers is just starting [the season] where I finished off to become a complete driver. If the team and the paddock can see that. There’s no question why I couldn’t stay longer because I always aim to try and stay here as long as I can until I finish racing.”

Zhou Guanyu has made his intention clear to make his trade at the pinnacle of motor racing for as long as possible. Moreover, he is only 23 years old and has got a long racing career ahead of him. He firmly feels that if he is able to keep doing the right things, then there is no reason why he can’t stay in F1 for several years to come.

While Guanyu is fighting for his seat in the sport for next year, his former Alpine teammate, Oscar Piastri, has signed a multiple-year deal with McLaren F1. The Chinese driver was able to make it to F1 before his buddy because of his financial power, but as things stand, he is the one whose career is hanging by a thread. Considering everything, would the Chinese driver be able to secure his F1 seat for 2024?

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