The first leg of the season in Formula 1 just ended in Bahrain last weekend, and this weekend will usher in a back-to-back second stop – Saudi Arabia.
Zhou Guanyu, China's first driver to participate in a full F1 race, finish tenth on his debut and earn the first point in the history of Chinese motorsport, has followed Alfa Romeo's team to the Jeddah circuit of this race to prepare for the practice race that began on Friday.
"It's the happiest tear. This is the best way to prove yourself. There are still many places to improve and learn, and I will continue to cheer! After coming to Sedi Jeddah at The Shatrolaber Station, Zhou Guanyu was still very excited.
For this weekend's competition, Zhou Guanyu said that although he has achieved his original dream, he will continue to move towards a bigger goal, "The previous ten started this season to achieve my dream, but now this has become a pleasant past. I started focusing on the next game and wanted to be able to continue to perform well. Every time I enter the cockpit, it's an opportunity to learn and make me feel more comfortable in the car. I knew I had to work hard, not only because I knew how fierce the competition around me was, but also because I was always strict with myself. ”
As a new circuit that only joined the F1 family last year, the Jeddah Circuit in Saudi Arabia is the highest street circuit of all the races in the F1 calendar, with an average speed of 252.8 km/h. And, due to the frequent occurrence of accidents caused by blind spots in some corners of the track in last season's races, the speed of the car will become faster after the adjustment of the track settings this year. For all drivers, racing here is both exciting and challenging.
A former F2 driver, Zhou Guanyu also ran the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia last December, when he finished fourth in the main race.
Now coming to the high-speed track with an F1 car, he said, "Jeddah is no stranger to me because I raced here in Formula 2 last year. Of course, driving this year's F1 car will be a different experience. Although the layout has been changed, it is still a very challenging track that requires 100% concentration and is costly to make mistakes. Obviously driving this year's car here will be an unforgettable experience. ”
At the Jeddah circuit, it is also worth paying attention to whether ferrari team can continue the strength of the top two in the first stop.
It seems that the faster Red Bull Racing team racing should have a slight advantage on the high-speed track. However, defending champions Verstappen and his team-mate Perez both withdrew due to mechanical failures in the car, and Red Bull Racing had less than a week to solve problems with the powertrain.