Image source @ Visual China
China's first official F1 driver Zhou Guanyu's third career F1 race has attracted the attention of many racing enthusiasts.
On 10 April, the Australian Grand Prix of the World Formula One Championship (F1) was held at Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit, and Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu finished 11th for Alfa Romeo, regrettably passing by points. Zhou Guanyu's teammate Bottas was 8th, taking four points.
Ferrari driver Leclerc won the race, Red Bull driver Perez finished second and Mercedes-Benz's Russell finished third.
After the race, Alfa Romeo's coach Fried Vassell said in an interview with the media that Zhou Guanyu's performance so far has been solid, he has not made any major mistakes, he is a team driver, not only for his own sake, but also for the development of the team. He said Alfa Romeo is also looking up and down for him to improve.
F1 racing driver Zhou Guanyu
As the only newcomer this season, Zhou Guanyu's performance in three races has been recognized by the Alfa Romeo team.
Five months ago, when Alfa Romeo F1 team announced Zhou Guanyu as the official driver of the 2022 season, the history of Chinese motorsport was rewritten, before the first generation of Chinese racing drivers such as Cheng Congfu and Ma Qinghua had been infinitely close to F1, and finally this "name" was acquired by Zhou Guanyu.
As the first Chinese driver in the more than 70 years since the founding of the Formula One World Championship, 23-year-old Zhou Guanyu finished tenth in his career debut at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening match of the 2022 season, held last month, and successfully won the points.
In the race, Zhou Guanyu took advantage of the lack of grip of the "Seven Champions" Hamilton tires to surpass in one fell swoop, although Hamilton quickly regained the lead position, but Zhou Guanyu's excellent performance was enough to make Chinese fans boil with blood.
On this "speed is king" track, not only are the tears and sweat of racing drivers intertwined, but also the extreme "racing" of business and capital.
How hard is it to train a Chinese F1 racer?
Racing is undoubtedly a very money-burning sport. Yu Mengxuan, a racing driver of the Redden Tire Tianwan DriftIng Team, told Titanium Media App that since he entered the industry for seven or eight years, the money spent on racing has also been three or five million, "Sometimes it is not clear at all, training, travel, racing modification... In the absence of an economic basis, the pressure to play racing is very high. ”
Domestic racing is still like this, and if you want to enter F1, the cost is astronomical.
According to the International Federation of Motor Sports (FIA), There are three classes of Formula Motor Racing, which are divided into F3, F2 and F1 according to the different engine displacement and power.
According to the Titanium Media App, before becoming an F1 racer, drivers must go through major events such as karting, F4, F3, and F2. Among them, F4 is a formula race promoted by the International Automobile Federation, aiming to popularize Formula racing, fill the gap between karts and F3, and build a path for young drivers to advance from kart to F4 to F3 and finally to F1.
"At the age of seven or eight, young drivers began to train on go-karts, this stage is also the most expensive, spending at least 80 to 1 million yuan per year, after 4 or 5 times to advance to Formula 4, it is possible to be noticed by sponsors, some sponsorship, so as to offset part of the training costs." Zheng Qi, captain of the Chinese road motorcycle team, told Titanium Media App.
Zheng Qi said that parents really want their children to produce results and go to the international stage, they must take their children to Europe to participate in large-scale events, and the investment is doubled. From go-karts to the F1 stage, burning money is commonplace, from the modification of vehicles, to the training of well-known personal trainers, to the protection of technical teams, and to the participation of competitions around the world... The costs are quite staggering.
According to Zheng Qi's calculations, in China, it costs at least 100 million to train F1 drivers like Zhou Guanyu, which is based on his rich conditions, and it can be said that racing is a "game of rich people".
Image source @ Visual China
Titanium Media App noted that according to Spanish media reports, Zhou Guanyu joined the Alfa Romeo Racing Team with a sponsorship of 30 million euros (equivalent to 217.5 million yuan), which is also one of the important reasons why he received the team's olive branch.
"Bringing capital into the group is not the norm in the industry, like European racing drivers are basically step by step, Zhou Guanyu these Chinese players are relatively special." Zheng Qi said.
In fact, Chinese racing drivers such as Cheng Congfu and Ma Qinghua have regretted that they could not solve the huge sponsorship problem in the process of gradually F1. From this perspective, it is also a normal game for young drivers to pay huge sponsorship fees to the team in order to obtain valuable driver seats.
Zhou Guanyu's growth path is also the standard template for future Chinese professional racing drivers to advance to F1.
At the age of 7, Zhou Guanyu came into contact with go-karts under the leadership of his family, and at the age of 10, he won all eight sub-stations of the National Championship, showing extraordinary talent. In order to improve his grades, accompanied by his mother, 11-year-old Zhou Guanyu went to the United Kingdom to study and train.
At the age of 14, Zhou Guanyu entered the youth training system, thus opening the road of "upgrading and fighting monsters", and won the National Championship, the All England Championship and the European Championship in the 14-17 year old category.
At this stage, although Zhou Guanyu, who is in a foreign country, has the company of his mother, he also needs to overcome many difficulties. In life, it is not easy for him to quickly integrate into a completely unfamiliar environment and learn another language; on the field, he also has to face provocations from competitors and maintain super motivation to improve performance, which is even more difficult.
In May 2018, 18-year-old Zhou Guanyu won the first leg of the FIA F3 European Championship in Pau, becoming the first Chinese driver to win a single-seater event in this category. In the 2019 season, the 20-year-old Zhou Guanyu transferred from the Ferrari Young Drivers' Academy to the Renault Sports Academy, officially debuted in F2 events, and became the first Chinese driver to win points, reach the podium, take pole positions and lead the standings in F2 races.
In the 2021 season, Zhou Guanyu finally finished second in F2 and was the only driver to advance from F2 to F1 that year. From F4, F3 to F1, Zhou Guanyu spent more than 6 years to create this history.
According to the Titanium Media App, F2 to F1 this stage is the most difficult, there are only 10 participating teams, a team only has two seats, the elimination rate is extremely high, even if you look at the world, there are about 100 drivers holding F1 racing licenses.
Yu Mengxuan sighed to the Titanium Media App: "A bunch of children who drove a go-kart with him, only Zhou Guanyu came out, this is not only a matter of money, it can have today's results, but also shows his high level." ”
It can be said that to become a professional F1 racing driver, it is not only necessary to have a strong net worth, but also need to have superhuman talent, as well as super psychological quality, and experience layers of selection to break through, in order to stand on the F1 field and get better professional development.
"Although Chinese motorsport is relatively backward in the world, Zhou Guanyu was able to reach the stage of F1, proving that his growth path can be replicated, and more talents will surely emerge in the future." Zheng Qi told the Titanium Media App.
F1 is the highest level of racing competition in the world today, together with the Olympic Games and the World Cup, known as the "world's three major sports", with an annual rating of 60 billion people, and the commercial potential contained in it is also huge.
According to the Titanium Media App, the Concorde Agreement is the core of the F1 business model, which includes the distribution of benefits between the FIA, F1 Management Company (FOM) and the fleet.
The FIA is the race authority, and its revenue sources include the entry fee for 10 teams and the cost of super driver's licenses for the drivers.
As an event organizer, FOM receives revenue from global event hosting rights, live broadcast rights, advertising and sponsorship fees, in addition to each season, FOM also pays 10 teams the bonus dividends of the previous season.
In addition to the above-mentioned infrared revenue sources, the team's main source of income is advertising endorsements, event bonuses, etc., but top F1 teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari do not care much about revenue.
In fact, the amount of money it takes to run an F1 team is even higher than the revenue of an F1 team. According to Forbes statistics, the team's annual turnover of more than $100 million is only the entry threshold, and champion teams such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull spend more than $400 million a year, and their team size is more than 1,000 people.
"This kind of top car manufacturer, do not expect the fleet to make money for it, the fleet is actually an intangible asset, representing the corporate culture of the main engine factory." Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App.
Compared to F1, domestic fleet operation is much cheaper. Yu Mengxuan told titanium media App: "A team has a modified racing car technician, a logistics support personnel, and most importantly, a team manager, his responsibilities are very many, including talking about sponsorship, arranging driver training, etc., these are costs, like a domestic team with 4 drivers, the annual operating cost is only 5 million." ”
According to the Titanium Media App, for most Young Chinese people, in order to obtain a seat in the team, they often pay for training and competition out of their own pockets, which on the one hand reduces the pressure on the team operation, on the other hand, the drivers can also achieve advancement through their own efforts.
Of course, the commercial value of F1 drivers can not be underestimated, among which the top drivers are enough to match world-class athletes.
In the 2022 F1 driver salary list, Hamilton occupied the top position with $40 million, and Verstappen and Alonso, who ranked second and third, reached $25 million and $20 million respectively.
In addition, a group of young drivers such as Norris and Russell are paid less than $5 million. Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher, Ma Zeping and Latifi all earn $1 million, while Japanese driver Yui Kakuda, who ranks at the bottom, has a salary of only $750,000.
Advertising endorsements are another big source of income for these racers. Take Chinese F1 driver Zhou Guanyu, for example, who now holds the endorsement of Playseat, a leading gaming equipment company in the field of Swiss luxury watchmaking brand Hublot, racing and flight simulators, and Ammus AMX, a sub-brand of Yili Group, and its commercial value continues to soar.
Image source @ Visual China
Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App: "In addition to endorsements, there will be some well-known drivers such as Jorge Lorenzo who earn income by opening training schools. ”
It can be said that motorsport is a vanity fair full of money and power, and young people gallop on the track, composing the "fast and furious" chapter of their careers with one wonderful transcendent moment after another.
Where is the future of Racing in China?
Compared with European and American countries that gave birth to racing culture in the 19th century, Chinese racing started many years late.
In 1985, China held the first international event, the Hong Kong-Beijing Motor Rally, which passed through 7 provinces and cities, with a total mileage of more than 3,000 kilometers, and the Chinese people felt the true charm of motorsport for the first time.
In 1999, Beijing hosted the WRC World Rally Championship, the first world-class automobile race in Chinese history to be held by the FIA.
In 2004, at the Shanghai International Circuit, F1 entered China at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour, and the following year in the finale of the Shanghai race, Espanyol Alonso won the seventh stage of the season, ending the rule of Schumacher and the Ferrari dynasty, and the Chinese also witnessed this historic moment.
It can be said that F1 China is a "fuse", since then MotoGP in 2005, WTCC in 2011, WEC in 2012, Formula E in 2014, etc. have followed, igniting the fire of Chinese motorsport.
However, it is embarrassing that in the 18 years since F1 entered China, only one F1 racing driver has been born, and the sport has been tepid in China.
"This is related to the environment at that time, When China's automobile manufacturing industry was not very strong, domestic car sales were not good, and they would not pay attention to motorsport, when the audience went to watch the racing car on the spot, they did not understand the history and knowledge of motorsport, and watching the event was very boring." Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App.
He said that only after a real in-depth understanding can we see the fun of motorsport, such as the driver's tactical coordination, the choice of tires, and even the time to refuel, you can see the real strength of the team.
The lack of talents has also made the development of China's F1 difficult, and the reason is still the lack of youth training system.
Yu Mengxuan told Titanium Media App: "There is no youth training system in China, like a racing training school, just to help students get a racing license, knock on the door, want to run a race or buy a racing car, enter a team, pay for their own training and competition, and slowly rise up." ”
He told titanium media App that Europe and the United States have a very perfect system, and from an early age, they began to tap the interests of teenagers and organize related leagues. "Take the NBA, for example, American high school students can directly enter the NBA after taking the college entrance examination, because there is a draft mechanism." 」
In addition, the importance of agents for racing drivers is becoming increasingly prominent.
Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App that racing powers such as Europe and Japan have professional racing agencies to discover and train children to become racing stars. "In fact, like NBA basketball stars, racing drivers should be packaged in the form of a star artist, including his cultural accomplishment, communication skills with the team, expression ability when interviewing, and skills to cooperate with sponsors to promote and take photos... I think that only then can racing drivers have a better development. ”
So, given that China lacks F1 talent, is it more realistic to buy an F1 team directly?
In fact, it is impossible for top teams like Mercedes and Ferrari to sell their teams, and even if they acquire a small team, the annual operating expenses of billions of dollars are sky-high, and I am afraid that few Chinese automakers are willing to risk getting involved.
Yu Mengxuan also expressed the same view to the Titanium Media App: "Funding is only a problem on the one hand, and the greater difficulty lies in whether Chinese car companies are willing to invest in research and development in racing cars, and technically foreign countries are still in a strong position, and it is not easy to catch up." ”
In this case, the emergence of young F1 racers like Zhou Guanyu in China is also a good time to promote Chinese racing culture.
Han Han, who is also a racing driver, also said that the significance of Zhou Guanyu's entry into F1 is like Yao Ming's influence on basketball. In fact, it is also the emergence of Yao Ming, the NBA's influence in China is growing, and basketball directly surpasses football to become the number one sport in China.
A gratifying phenomenon is that with the increase in China's consumption level, more and more young people own cars, laying the foundation for their future participation in motorsport. "I have observed that on the Beijing Goldenport Circuit, many young people are driving their own cars to experience the fun of racing, coupled with the output of vehicle modifications and car events in the short video platform, in fact, the promotion of domestic motorsport culture is constantly strengthening." Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App.
On the other hand, the influence of European motorsport is weakening, which is also an opportunity for China. Zheng Qi said that people have become very familiar with the rules of the game in F1 events over the years, there is no longer a superstar driver like Schumacher, and the competition between F1 drivers is not as fierce as before, and its attractiveness is declining.
He said that motorsport is closely related to the development direction of the world's traditional automobile manufacturing industry. "Now the automobile industry is developing in the direction of intelligent and environmentally friendly electric, motorsport is also transforming, and in recent years, there have been pure electric racing competition projects such as Formula E, and Chinese manufacturers such as Lynk & Co have appeared in the participating teams, which is a good opportunity for China's electric motorsport to overtake in curves." He said.
Of course, compared with foreign motorsport culture, there is still a big gap due to The late start in China.
Zheng Qi told Titanium Media App that the cultural attributes of motorsport will be stronger in Europe. "The European racing industry is developing in the direction of pan-entertainment, which has spawned a fan economy. For example, merchants can sell gloves, helmets, clothing and other racing peripheral products to fans, and fans can also buy products from team sponsors to support the development of the team. He said that any sports event to develop into a professional league stage must be very commercial, just like the NBA, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, the racing industry will also spread to the entertainment industry such as film and television variety shows.
If Chinese auto racing wants to achieve "integration" with the world, it must go through a long stage, and the establishment of mechanisms, the cultivation of talents, and the promotion of culture are indispensable.
Talking about the future development of motorsport, Zheng Qi opened a brain hole, "After the maturity of driverless technology, the future of motorsports may be like e-sports games, people do not need to sit in the car, they can remotely drive real cars to compete, at that time more and more young people through e-sports games to contact racing, then motorsport will usher in the second growth curve." ”
(This article was first published in the Titanium Media APP, the author | Liu Muzong)