Who is Guanyu Zhou? Know all about the Alfa Romeo driver who will become the first Chinese driver in Formula One


Who is Guanyu Zhou? Know all about the Alfa Romeo driver who will become the first Chinese driver in Formula One

Guanyu Zhou

The 2021 Formula 1 season has a significant part in history also being the last of hybrid cars in F1, the 2022 season will see new challengers and new regulations. Teams are also introducing new drivers to their cars and this year we have new Formula 1 prospects to scene to give fans more exiting race season.

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Guanyu Zhou signed with Alfa Romeo for the 2022 Formula One season, where he would be partnering with Valtteri Bottas, becoming, China’s, the state with the largest population on earth, first full-time Formula One driver. In a press release following the announcement. Guanyu Zhou stated that he was “well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1” and that him coming into the series would be “a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history“.

Guanyu Zhou is alleged to have brought £20million in Chinese backing to Alfa Romeo which will enable the team to operate at the sport’s £114m cost cap next season.

Like many drivers outside of Europe, Zhou left his homeland and head West to give himself the best shot of making it in F1 thanks to his parents who had enough financial capability to back the dream. He moved to south Yorkshire city of Sheffield in the United Kingdom to pursue his long dream of joining F1.

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Who is Guanyu Zhou the Chinese F1 sensation?

Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo
Guanyu Zhou

Guanyu Zhou the 22 year’s, Chinese racing driver who is due to compete as an Alfa Romeo driver in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Virtuosi Racing from 2019 to 2021, having finished 3rd in the 2021 campaign behind champion O. Piastri and R. Shwartzman.

He is now part of the Alpine Academy and served as the test driver for the Renault F1 Team and the Alpine F1 Team in 2020 and 2021 respectively. He served as the development driver for Formula E team DS Techeetah in 2018 during his time with Ferrari Driver Academy where he was apart from 2014 to 2018.

Zhou started his single seater career in 2015, competing in the Italian F4 Championship and ADAC Formula 4 with Prema Racing, he moved up the FIA racing lader following his success in Italy moving to the European Formula 3 Championship with Motopark in 2016 and Prema Racing in 2017 and 2018.

He made his F1 race weekend debut for Alpine F1 Team during the first practice session of the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix, becoming the second driver from mainland China to participate in an F1 Grand Prix, after Ma Qinghua.

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Also read: McLaren’s third place duel with Ferrari prepared both teams for future challenges : Lando Norris