Zhou Guanyu talks about becoming China's first F1 driver: this is a matter of pride compared to pressure

China News Service, Shanghai, November 19 Title: Zhou Guanyu on becoming China's first F1 driver: Compared to pressure, this is a matter of pride

Written by Zhou Zhuo'ao, Miao Lu

"Before signing the contract, I didn't tell anyone about this, and after the official announcement, many people sent congratulations to WeChat, and in a few moments there were nearly two or three hundred messages, and I was very happy, so compared to the pressure, for me, this is a more proud thing." Talking about becoming China's first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, who is competing in F2 in the UK, said in an online interview.

On the evening of November 16, Beijing time, The Alfa Romeo Team released the news that Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu will officially replace Antonio Giovinaz as the team's second driver, and partner Walterier Bottas in the 2022 season to compete in F1. As a result, Zhou Guanyu will become the first Chinese driver to participate in the main race in the more than 70 years since the establishment of the World Formula One Championship.

From the age of 7 to the age of 7 to become China's first F1 driver, looking back on the development path along the way, Zhou Guanyu frankly said: "This road is not smooth sailing, there are too many things behind my back, if I don't really like it, I will not work hard to achieve my goals at all costs." ”

Zhou Guanyu's goal and dream is to join F1, and for the title of China's first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu believes that it is more pride than pressure. "For me, I realized my dream, and at the same time, I let Chinese car fans wait for drivers from their own countries. Before signing the contract, I was very stressed until the end of the contract, as if the pressure had been released. Zhou Guanyu said.

Zhou Guanyu's pressure is not only because the F1 road is extremely difficult to walk, but also the unsatisfactory 2020 season has also hit him hard, and too many mechanical failures have caused him to lose a lot of points. Zhou Guanyu said: "The road to F1 is very difficult, especially with the mechanism of 40 points now with a super driver's license, you not only need to make sure that you get enough points in 3 years according to the FIA regulations, but also need to have a good performance in the F2 championship, so that the F1 team can see your strength and be willing to recruit you into the team." ”

In the face of the upcoming new season, Zhou Guanyu said that he is ready to meet the difficult start, "Just entering F1 will be very difficult, you need to find your comfort zone from it, so that you can play better and better." The most important thing next year is to calm down and fight steadily. Hopefully, I want to keep improving in every game of the season. ”

For next season's new partner Bottas, Zhou Guanyu was quite praised, "Bottas is a very good, very fast driver, he has stood on the championship podium many times, which is a very difficult thing. Partnering him in the new season, I can learn a lot from him. ”

Zhou Guanyu said that in order to ensure that he has a stable performance and a better performance in the first leg of the 2022 F1 season, he hopes that he can be prepared for all aspects, and simulator training is the most important step.

Compared to F2, F1 has a denser schedule and requires more drivers. Zhou Guanyu revealed that in order to realize his F1 dream, since the beginning of his campaign in F2, he has always demanded himself according to the standards of F1 drivers in terms of physical reserves and daily training.

Due to the ongoing epidemic situation around the world, the F1 Chinese Grand Prix will not appear in the calendar of the 2022 season, and Zhou Guanyu regrets this, "Every driver wants to participate in the race in his hometown, especially in F1. After becoming the first official Chinese F1 driver, I also hope that I can one day compete in my hometown. Although there is no Chinese stop next year, I will have a satisfactory performance on the track. ”

As for the goal of becoming an official driver in F1, Zhou Guanyu said: "Joining F1 is my dream, and now the dream has been realized. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself at this stage, I just want to prepare for the season early in this state. For next year, a lot of things are unknown, wait until the season starts and then give yourself a precise goal. (End)

Source: China News Network