F1 debut ranked 10th to get points, in the case of unfavorable start to complete several consecutive overtaking, and even with the seven-time champion Hamilton wrist, Zhou Guanyu's performance in Bahrain is amazing enough, creating the history of Chinese drivers in F1 competition.
"It was incredible! At this moment, I can't express my feelings in words. My dream since I was a child is to become an F1 driver, and this achievement for me is not only to show the best of myself in the dream job, but also a great affirmation of myself. Back in the garage after the race, Zhou Guanyu and the team staff hugged each other tightly and cried with joy.
In the opening game of the new season, Ferrari Team also brought many surprises to fans. They surpassed the former paddock overlords Mercedes and Red Bull Racing to take the top two, and Leclerc, who started from pole position, led the way to win the championship.
As the only rookie driver this season and China's first official F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu has been in the spotlight. In qualifying the day before, he managed to qualify for Q2, finishing his first qualifying match in 15th place.
"The goal for the new season is of course to get points, but I'm not sure exactly how long it will take. Because the car is brand new, we also need to know more about the competitiveness of the car and the speed of the opponents. Although the Bahrain Circuit is the most familiar track for Zhou Guanyu, where he has won the F2 championship, Zhou Guanyu is still very cautious when it comes to getting points.
Unexpectedly, just 24 hours later, Zhou Guanyu drove a new Alfa Romeo car, achieving his "small goal" and sending a big surprise to all fans.
Zhou Guanyu started in the 15th place in the race, the starting stage was not ideal, did not find the right rhythm, and the ranking once fell to the bottom. "The game was tight. I had a problem at the first corner, but then I realized I had to adjust in time to try my best to get into the top ten. Zhou Guanyu said.
Just as fans were pinching the sweat for his debut, Zhou Guanyu began to fight back strongly, leaving Mick Schumacher, Stroor, Holkenberg and many other opponents behind in a row.
The most exciting picture appeared on lap 12, Hamilton completed the tire change out, Zhou Guanyu took advantage of hamilton tire lack of grip opportunity, in one fell swoop to surpass. Although Hamilton quickly regained the lead, he was able to play against the seven-time champions in the first game of his career, and Zhou Guanyu showed good skills and mentality, gaining valuable experience.
In the second half of the competition, Zhou Guanyu has been in the 12th and 13th places. With such a result to complete the debut, Zhou Guanyu has enough to win high scores. Unexpectedly, the race was full of waves in the last few laps: Gasley triggered a virtual safety car, and red bull racing players Verstappen and Perez, who aimed to receive the podium, retired due to the exhaustion of the vehicle. Zhou Guanyu drove steadily, firmly holding the position, crossing the finish line on the 10th and earning the first point of his F1 career.
The situation on the field is changing rapidly, and it is difficult to determine the title of champion until the last moment, which is also the charm of motorsport.
For an F1 novice, it is not easy to finish the debut smoothly, let alone get points. In the history of F1, only drivers such as Webb, Rothber and Highfield have achieved the achievement of scoring points on their debut. Mick Schumacher, son of car king Schumacher, has beaten Zhou Guanyu several times in F2, but after switching to F1 last year, he did not score points for the whole season.
Zhou Guanyu admitted that since he joined the Alfa Romeo team last year, he has heard a lot of doubts. But at the Bahrain circuit, he proved himself with his strength, straightening out the question marks.
Zhou Guanyu's teammate, Finland's Bottas, finished 6th, and both of them won the new season points for the team. "We communicate a lot and have meetings together. Bottas is experienced and has a very fast speed, and if I can reach his grade level, I can definitely deliver a better answer sheet. Zhou Guanyu said.
F1 has a close schedule, the second leg of the season will be transferred to Saudi Arabia, the qualifying round will start in the early morning of Beijing time on the 27th, and the main race time will be in the early morning of the 28th. When it comes to the next game, the young man who will turn 23 is full of confidence and expectations.
"I've made it to the top level of the world in F1 and I'm sure to face more challenges in the future. I need to work with great intensity and do 'people-car-in-one' as soon as possible, and luckily there is a really good team with me and we want to win more." ”
Judging from the excellent driving performance of the opening match and the good performance feedback of the new car, Zhou Guanyu has the opportunity to impact better results in the next race. And every bit of his progress will rewrite the history of Chinese motorsport.