Zhou Guanyu will become an official F1 driver next season (courtesy of interviewee)
On December 12, 2021, the 2021 F2 season came to an end, and Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu won the third place of the year. This year, Zhou Guanyu has been on the podium 9 times and won 4 championships. Next season, Zhou Guanyu will be on the stage of Formula 1, becoming the first official driver in China to perform at the F1 World Championship. A few days ago, Zhou Guanyu accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency during his full preparation for the new season.
Reporter: You've been associated with racing since you were a kid, who's your favorite driver?
Zhou Guanyu: I started watching formula 1 championships in 2004, and my favorite driver at that time was Alonso, and I remember that the person who competed with him for the championship of the year in those years was Schumacher, the king of the year, and I liked the sport at that time, until he left F1, and the player I supported became Daniel Ricciardo. However, later I was fortunate to work with the two in the same team, had more in-depth exchanges, and became very good friends with them.
Zhou Guanyu and idol Alonso exchange racing helmets (provided by the interviewee)
Reporter: When you become friends with idols, do you have a feeling that dreams shine into reality?
Zhou Guanyu: Yes, it is the dream that shines into reality, because in fact, the first person I met was Ricardo, because Ricardo and I joined the team in the same year, and that year I had already started the F1 test drive plan, including participating in some of their meetings, so I had a good exchange with Ricardo.
It wasn't until this year that Alonso joined Renault, and I was honored to be able to drive his chariot in the first practice session in Austria, and you can't imagine one day getting into your idol's car, so the whole process is still quite magical, and it's a wonderful feeling.
Alonso also told me that if you had any questions, you could ask him for advice.
F1 official congratulations zhou guanyu to become an official driver (F1 official Weibo)
Reporter: What was your mood like when you learned that you had become an official F1 driver? What did you do in the first place?
Zhou Guanyu: When I learned this news, my heart was very happy, it felt like a dream, because becoming an F1 driver was still a seemingly close but actually very distant goal for me two years ago, it required the efforts of a person and a team in all aspects to have a chance to achieve it, and for this goal, I myself and my team and family have worked hard for a long time, so I called my parents in China as soon as I got the news.
Reporter: You just said that you were on the phone with your parents on the phone for the first time, what did your parents say to you on the phone?
Zhou Guanyu: At that time, my parents congratulated me first, because next year there will be only the last seat left, and the competition is bound to be fierce. But after making sure it was me, my parents told me that I could now prepare for the new season without pressure.
Q: Once you've accomplished your goal of becoming an F1 driver, what's your next goal?
Zhou Guanyu: First of all, I hope to be fully prepared before the new F1 season, and then in the F1 season at the beginning of next year, I will be able to play steadily and strive to show my strength in the first few stops of the season. At the same time, my next goal is to get points in the new season.
Reporter: Regardless of the economic factors, what do you think are the core conditions that should be necessary to become a full F1 driver?
Zhou Guanyu: In fact, the threshold is higher now than in previous years, the first thing to apply for an F1 super driver's license needs to accumulate 40 points, this rule requires that every race in three years is an official FIA certified race, in the junior formula to win the championship only 12 points, and then you have to go to the intermediate and advanced and the last step of the F2 event.
Secondly, every driver needs to have a very good performance in F2 to have the opportunity to join the F1 family. For example, at least one event in the same season to get the top three, especially the top three in F2, will directly give you 40 points.
You also need to let the team have a place to appreciate you, because F1 doesn't just need a driver who drives the fastest, but people who are very good in all aspects of the field have the opportunity to compete for this position together, so it is far more complicated than everyone seems to see. This is also my own experience in the past few months.
Zhou Guanyu won 4 championships and 9 podiums in the 2021 F2 season (provided by respondents)
Reporter: In fact, many people say that it is not just driving, what is so difficult about this? But through your introduction, I found that this is a process that requires exercise, and I see a saying that in fact, every F1 driver is subjected to physical pressure in every turn in the race is equivalent to riding a rocket, which requires exercise, so are you ready for it?
Zhou Guanyu: Yes, you are completely right, as a driver, the most important thing is the neck and cervical spine, we have professional equipment to practice the endurance of the neck, which is actually from the primary equation to the present, has been accumulating training content for many years.
Secondly, for me, since I first came to F2 in '19, I have been doing physical training by the standards of an F1 driver, so I am not very worried about this.
Of course I know that when you become an official driver, every weekend will be very busy, because a lot of races are back-to-back, and it will definitely take a lot more effort than I can experience now, but because I am always strict with myself, I don't think this aspect of the pressure resistance is a particularly big problem.
Reporter: F1 was known as a white-dominated motorsport a long time ago, but with the continuous popularization of automotive culture, there are more and more Asian faces, and you as China's first official F1 driver is about to debut in the next season, the famous writer and racing driver Han Han compared this breakthrough to "Liu Xiang" and "Yao Ming" in the field of racing, how do you think of this view?
Zhou Guanyu: First of all, I am very grateful to Han Han for recognizing me, I feel very happy that he has this analogy, through his own joining F1, he has influenced many people, let more people like and understand the racing culture, and then pay attention to the sport of racing.
Secondly, I myself did not imagine that one day I could become a good person like Yao Ming or Liu Xiang, as Chinese can become an official driver of F1, I know that this is just the beginning, because after that, I not only need to complete the current dream, but also to make greater progress under the guidance of new goals, and strive to show my level and do better and better.
In fact, I think that no matter where you are, as long as you represent the Chinese to go to international events, represent the highest level of China in every field and every sport, and let the five-star red flag be raised on the medal or on the Olympic field, it is a very proud thing, so I hope that everyone will support every athlete who works hard in international events.
Zhou Guanyu shouted happily after achieving good results in the competition (provided by the interviewee)
Reporter: In my racing career, have you ever wanted to give up?
Zhou Guanyu: In fact, the two that impressed me, one was when I was 8 years old in Shanghai to participate in a kart race, because the opponent's car flew out of control over my head, and I was also injured, and then I rushed to the hospital for stitches, which was the first time I felt that racing was actually accompanied by danger. But I'm still very adamant about sticking with it.
Another painful time was last year, 2020, in the F2 annual results took the 6th place, although overall not very bad, but much lower than I expected, there are many reasons, including mechanical failures and engine problems, etc., led me to lead the whole race many times, but in the end less than 10 laps chose to withdraw, which had a big impact on me, but I later found that this made me more mature in terms of psychology, but also a kind of exercise, At the same time, it also allows me to play my own abilities more steadily this year.
Reporter: Can I understand that these experiences were difficult at the time, but they laid the foundation for your ability to improve and you have more courage to meet the challenges of the future?
Zhou Guanyu: Yes, first of all, these setbacks are also the charm of racing, and until the last lap, you don't know what will happen.
At the same time, through this journey, I have never thought of giving up, may be more in the loss to find themselves, can make themselves up again, I know through so many years how to face each step or every process, I think these experiences are also the key factors that make me slowly move towards success.
Chow won the second leg of the F2 Abu Dhabi Sprint (courtesy of the interviewee)
Reporter: Next year will become the official driver of F1, although the official arrangement in the new season does not have a Shanghai station, but as a Shanghainese, do you look forward to one day being able to write your flying life on the "Shang" runway in Shanghai?
Zhou Guanyu: Yes, I was really looking forward to it, and it was a pity that F1 did not have Shanghai station at that time. However, in 2019, I participated in the roadshow of F1 Shanghai Station, and I felt that the people in my hometown loved me, so I was more looking forward to being able to appear in Front of fans in China and Shanghai as soon as possible.
Reporter: What do you think motorsport has brought you?
Zhou Guanyu: Motorsport actually brought me another life, because since I started to like it from elementary school and developed it as my career direction, this step by step, I have always believed that one day I can successfully realize my dream, this day has finally come, so I have been very grateful that this sport can make me give everything for him.
Author: Li Xiang
Editor: Zeng Xiaowei
Editor-in-charge: Li Mingyang
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