Guanyu Zhou will replace Fernando Alonso during Free Practice 1 in Austria

Next weekend, Guanyu Zhou will take part in his first free practice session in Formula 1. The Chinese driver, a member of the Alpine Academy since 2019, will replace Fernando Alonso at the wheel of his car.

Zhou will become the first Chinese driver to take part in an F1 race weekend in 8 years. Previously, he had already driven the 2012 Lotus E20 on the streets of Shanghai in 2019. The F2 championship leader also took part in a private testing session at the Red Bull Ring with Renault last September.

« Racing in the FP1 of a Formula 1 Grand Prix is a dream come true and a step closer to my ultimate goal of being a Formula 1 driver. It will be truly special. I will prepare myself as much as possible while ensuring I meet all the goals and plans set by the team. There haven’t been many Chinese drivers in Formula 1, so there will probably be a lot of pride when I take the wheel. It will be even more special driving Fernando’s car, whose career inspired me when I was younger. I am very happy with what I have accomplished so far and I am extremely grateful to the many people who have supported me. My goal is to maximize this opportunity, and I really look forward to it. », declared the F2 championship leader.

The young Chinese driver will take part in this testing session to continue to improve and help him obtain his super license, mandatory to be present on the starting grid of an F1 season.

Entering F1 is an incredibly difficult challenge for young drivers and we are proud to support future talents in their journey. In his role as a test driver, Guanyu has participated in testing sessions and others in the simulator, so his participation in free practice with the current car represents a logical and important step for one of the greatest hopes of the Academy. This experience will greatly help him in his constant progression towards his ultimate goal of securing a seat in F1,” says Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine.