Zhou Guanyu has created history by becoming the first ever Chinese driver to get a seat in Formula One. The young Chinese driver was picked up by Alfa Romeo (Now Kick Sauber) back in 2022. As the 2024 season goes into the final half of the season, the young Chinese driver has struggled to perform and keep up with the pressure on his shoulders.
Currently sitting at last with his team, Kick Sauber are the only team this season who have not scored any points. As Kick Sauber will turn into Audi from 2026 onwards, Zhou has been fighting for a place on the grid along with the prejudices that come along with this Asian nationality.
“Nationality Is A Reality”
Speaking about his beginnings in F1, Zhou compared his entrance with that of Ollie Bearman, the rookie driver who will join Haas in 2025.
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During an interview Zhou said, “In 2021, when I signed with Alfa Romeo, there was a lot of racist abuse because people weren’t following my career. Now we see a driver who is outside the top 10 in F2 getting a seat, and there is a lot of support for him. This shows that nationality is a reality. It’s hard to change when you are Asian and come from different Asian countries, but it doesn’t worry me.”
Uncertain Future
Zhou Guanyu has an uncertain future ahead of himself as he is fighting for the single remaining seat in Audi. His main competition right now is his own teammate Valtteri Bottas who also doesnt have a drive for next year. It is a tough battle for Zhou as Bottas is an experienced driver with several wins under his belt.
Zhou remains confident with the arrival of Mattia Binotto as the team boss. “I have known him for a good while now, having been involved in the Ferrari academy for several years. For the future or for next year, it’s definitely better,” Zhou commented upon his relationship with the ex-Ferrari team principal.
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It remains to be seen for the rest of the season how Zhou performs and how events unfold and whether the Chinese driver gets a seat for the next season or not.
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