Zhou Guanyu revient sur ses débuts en F1. (Zhou Guanyu is reflecting on his debut in Formula 1.)
Formula 1 is a sport where the pressure is constant. Guanyu Zhou has been familiar with it for a season and a half, and the driver has reflected on his debut in F1.
Guanyu Zhou became the first Chinese driver to participate in the Formula 1 World Championship. The Alfa Romeo driver began his career in 2022.
The driver is happy to have made his debut in Formula 1, but he remains realistic about his results.
« I have the feeling that in general, there are ups and downs. But overall, I am quite satisfied with how I was able to get into the world of F1 and show the world what I am capable of as a driver. But in terms of results, there are obviously more downs than ups. But on the other hand, a lot of the downs were not my fault. So I was unlucky », declares the Alfa Romeo driver, to planetf1.com.
Points for his first GP
« I had the best possible start in F1, scoring points, and the car was really good. Then, we had three or four races with retirements due to technical issues, including two where I was in the points. So, it wasn’t a good way to go. But on the other hand, it makes me much stronger mentally », the Chinese driver explains.
This year, in terms of performance, the car is not as good as last year. So we are fighting a bit more. The fact that I scored some points and achieved this incredible P5 in the qualifying round in Budapest shows how much I have been able to improve throughout the year. So yes, there are ups and downs. But people have seen what I can do in this paddock, and that’s the most important thing.
The Valtteri Bottas challenge
In one and a half seasons, Valtteri Bottas’s teammate has scored 10 points. The Chinese driver mentions the challenge and pressure he faces in Formula 1.
« Of course, I expected it to be very difficult. In fact, I thought that the results might come, but not after the first race. On the other hand, there is a lot of pressure in Formula 1, especially off the track. Of course, on the track, there is pressure, but off the track, there are a lot of people talking about you, a lot of pressure, like what people were thinking before I joined Formula 1 and announced my spot in the race for 2022. This pressure was tough, but I managed to overcome it in the right way », the driver continues.
The former Alpine Academy driver believes that this pressure suits him: « This pressure suits me perfectly. I am the first Chinese driver in Formula 1. I had to face this pressure, as if people were saying I was the last hope, or the only hope, to make it to F1. So F1 was my dream and I was trying to achieve it, or give everything I could, but it puts pressure on you, of course, and motivation at the same time. When I arrived in F1, it was just another way to handle the pressure. »
