Zhou Guanyu: How to show the "Chinese speed" of F1 to the world?
China News Service, Beijing, March 18 Title: Zhou Guanyu: How to show the world the "Chinese speed" of F1?
Author Gao Chuyi
On 16 November 2021, the Official Announcement of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team is the official driver for the 2022 season. Born in Shanghai in 1999, Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese driver in F1 and will make his F1 debut with teammate Valteri Bottas in the opening match for the F1 2022 Bahrain season, which starts on March 18.
Recently, Zhou Guanyu said in an interview with China News Agency's "East and West" that on the racing track, whether from the East or the West, every driver has his own strengths and weaknesses. His first appearance in F1 is something to be proud of.
The interview transcript is summarized below:
China News Service: Some people compare you to Yao Ming in the racing world, what do you think about this? What kind of breakthrough does joining F1 mean for China's racing field?
Zhou Guanyu: I have always dreamed of becoming an F1 driver for many years, and I have been repeatedly said to be the closest driver to F1. This time I can realize my dream, and I am very happy to have such a breakthrough. A year or two ago, I felt that the last step towards F1 seemed close but also far away, and that to be an F1 driver you need to have all the conditions and factors. The road to F1 is very difficult, according to the FIA regulations, drivers must get 40 points in three years and have to perform well in F2 to let F1 teams see your strength. So to get into F1, not only do you have to have the right position and opportunity, after all the conditions, you also need to wait for an opportunity and then seize it.
The appearance of a Chinese face in the F1 paddock has made Chinese car fans wait for drivers from their own countries, which is a very proud thing and a breakthrough in the field of Chinese racing. It is my greatest wish for the world to hear the national anthem. Realizing my dream is only the first step at the moment, and I will continue to work hard to improve myself in all aspects of the F1 race, get points as soon as possible, and show the best of myself.
Zhou Guanyu won the 2021 F2 British Silverstone Championship. Courtesy of respondents
China News Service: Becoming an F1 racer has attracted your attention at home and abroad. With the upcoming F1 debut of the 2022 season, what are your expectations for this race? How do I prepare for the next event?
Zhou Guanyu: It's not easy to join the team of 20 top drivers, so I will enjoy every race in F1 this year.
With 23 games throughout the year, the new season is no small challenge, requiring concentration and physical fitness. Pre-game diet distribution is important, and daily training should not be slackened. Sometimes I train in the gym all day, aerobic exercise in the morning, no oxygen in the afternoon, and I also carry out targeted training for neck and arm strength. Before the race, I will train in the simulator to adapt to the track, understand every case in F1, every different system, and prepare for the race.
I've been training myself with the qualities of an F1 driver, and for the new season, I don't need much change in terms of physical fitness, but more about increasing the intensity and communicating with the team, such as telling the team what I like to drive more. From Alpe to Alfa Romeo, the steering wheel feels like another world, and the steering wheel keys of each team and the feedback that the vehicle brings to you are very different, which requires quick self-adaptation.
The pressure in the highest areas of motorsport will increase a lot more than before, but along the way I have also gained experience and experience. I hope to make a good debut in Bahrain, get points, show the speed that the car should have, and don't want to give myself too much baggage.
From 24 to 25 February 2022, the 2022 F1 pre-season test will be held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. Zhou Guanyu, who is about to become the first Chinese driver in the F1 race this season, represented the Alfa Romeo team in the test and officially started his F1 career. China News Service sent Qian Jun motorsport courtesy of the picture
China News Service: You have been training and participating in overseas competitions for many years, and you are in the midst of the multiculturalism of the East and the West, how do you communicate with the foreign players who train together? Does it influence or promote each other in the game? What qualities Chinese can play to the advantage in the game?
Zhou Guanyu: I have a very good relationship with my teammates and opponents, and I don't obviously feel cultural differences. I've competed with many of the current F2 and F1 drivers. In life, when I attend the training camp, I have a lot of contact with other drivers and become good friends with each other. Some of the drivers who have raced and trained together in the early years can still meet on the field.
This time, after learning that I had become an F1 driver, almost the entire paddock came to congratulate me, and F1 drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Philippe Massa and Daniel Licardo sent text messages. It's amazing to be able to compete on the same stage with your idol one day. Some former F1 engineers will also give me advice, sharing the challenges and problems that a young driver needs to face.
On the racing track, whether from the East or the West, every driver has his own strengths and weaknesses, and you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each driver. More importantly, we must constantly improve our shortcomings. For example, some drivers drive more fiercely, some drivers choose to fight steadily, and the different performances of drivers are more derived from the differences in each person's personality and driving style, and there is no special relationship with where they come from.
As a Chinese driver, my own characteristics are persistence and hard work. Since karting, I've been racing with European drivers, including later on platforms where I entered Formula racing. Along the way, there is no guide, and I have walked through every step on my own in difficulty. Especially as a Chinese driver, you need to work harder, because there has never been a Chinese face in the F1 race, and it is too difficult to become a "first person", so you need to redouble your efforts behind your back, and at the same time be able to make trade-offs. I'm happy to keep up with my dream until this year.
Zhou Guanyu won the 2021 F2 Monaco championship. Courtesy of respondents
China News Service: Last September, you drove Fernando Alonso's car to complete the practice session in the first training session in Austria. How has Alonso helped and inspired you? In the future, do you also want to help more young drivers to take to the international arena?
Zhou Guanyu: In recent years, Alonso has given me a lot of help. In F1 and F2 races, there is very little help from other drivers who take the initiative to come forward, and more communication usually comes from the team engineers. And Alonso, not only my idol, but also as a two-time world champion, he is very willing and unreserved to help me, which is very admirable.
Before the first F1 practice session, we had a lot of exchanges and he gave me a lot of advice on the test drive. Later, when I learned that I was participating in the first training session of the 2021 season in Austria, Alonso told me early on that I could talk to him if I had any questions. During the practice session, he patiently answered my doubts, walked the track with me, and shared his past experience. In the end, I did not disappoint him, and I and the team were satisfied with the final result.
Racing culture began in Europe, and drivers want to compete at a higher level overseas and find their own new breakthroughs at the world level. In the future, I am also willing to help more young drivers to go to the top international racing events. At this stage, I need to continue to achieve the small goals set by each stage and start A good F1 race. Of course, I also hope that more young Chinese drivers can have this dream like me and try to realize it.
Zhou Guanyu participated in the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi post-season test. Courtesy of respondents
China News Service: In your opinion, has the participation of Chinese drivers in international racing events increased in recent years? In order to deeply participate in the international stage competition, what improvements have been made to China's racing environment, hardware conditions and racing culture?
Zhou Guanyu: First of all, from the most intuitive point of view, the Chinese Grand Prix is becoming more and more well known, and its ticket sales have increased every year, and I believe that more people who love racing will go to the scene to watch the race in the future. Secondly, more and more young people are leaving their hometowns to go overseas to participate in karting and formula races, and even though many people have a hard time persevering, I know how they feel when they race and train overseas. If you really like racing, you can be like me, desperate to dedicate everything to it, starting from a kart, and then starting a more professional and professional training internationally, growing and breaking through in the highest level of platform, step by step to become an F1 driver. It all takes extra effort and always conviction. Like I said before, I feel like racing is a part of my life. Sports need to speak in terms of achievements. With the results, everyone will know that Chinese can do well in the field of racing. (End)
Respondent Profiles:
Zhou Guanyu (born 1999 in Shanghai, China) is a Chinese racing driver. In 2015, he won the second place in F4, in 2016 he won the third place in European F3, in 2018 he became the first Chinese driver to win the F3 championship, and in 2020 he became the first Chinese driver to win the F2 championship. On November 16, 2021, he became the first F1 regular racer in Chinese history. On December 12, 2021, he finished third in the F2 Championship of the Year in the 2021 season.