On July 2, local time, the first session of the 2021 F1 Austrian Grand Prix was held at the Red Bull Ring, and F2 Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu drove the A521 car of Alpine F1 team Alonso to debut, and finally ranked fourteenth in the lap list. This is Zhou Guanyu's first appearance in an active racing car at an F1 Grand Prix, and for him, he is one step closer to his dream of becoming an official F1 driver. On the evening of the 3rd Beijing time, the Jiefang Daily Shangguan News reporter connected with Zhou Guanyu to listen to him share this unforgettable weekend.
In one hour of free practice, Zhou Guanyu ran a total of 29 laps, brushing out the personal fastest lap of 1 minute 6.414 seconds. In addition to practicing with C4 formula tires (neutral tires), Zhou Guanyu also used Pirelli prototype tires that had been in service since the next British Grand Prix to help the team with data collection.
When it comes to the feeling of participating in the free practice, Zhou Guanyu feels relieved, "The overall feeling is very good, faster than I expected to adapt. ”
In order to prepare for this free practice, Zhou Guanyu had previously spent a lot of time preparing, including simulator training. "It's the first time I've driven 21 cars, a lot of them are new designs, and the simulator can only have 60 to 70 percent to refer to."
Talking about the help of idols and seniors Alonso, Zhou Guanyu said that this weekend, in addition to engineers, Alonso was the person who communicated with him the most. "Since last weekend, we've been texting each other and he's telling me the difference between low-speed and high-speed corners on the track. He also walked with me on thursdays to help out at close range. He told me that he could ask him any questions, which helped me a lot. ”
In Zhou Guanyu's eyes, the two-time F1 world champion Alonso has no big-name shelf at all, is very modest, and has a frank personality, "He is very aggressive on the track and wants to win." Walking off the track, he will express his truest feelings, say that the car has a problem, and review himself if he is not driving well. I can learn a lot from him. ”
Having once opened F1 for pre-season testing, and now becoming a member of the F1 Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu bluntly said that he was under a lot of pressure before running free practice. "I know there are a lot of fans in China watching me. Sometimes the more you try to prove yourself, the easier it is to make mistakes. Fortunately, from familiarizing himself with racing to entering the flying circle, Zhou Guanyu went from nervousness to gradual adaptation to full enjoyment, "When Hamilton's car flies past you, that feeling is difficult to express." He's a driver I like, I've been watching his races, I didn't expect that after so many years, I could still compete with him, this feeling is very magical, so I have a dream to chase. ”
Participating in the F1 free practice allowed Zhou Guanyu to accumulate a lot of experience, "This is exactly the atmosphere of the F1 Grand Prix, what I experienced on Thursday and Friday is what the official driver has to go through, involved in the important preparation process." In the past, personal testing was always just yourself on the track. In the practice of the Grand Prix, you will see a lot of flags, you need to make a correct judgment in time, do not affect the speeding lap of other drivers, otherwise you will deduct your super driver's license safety score. ”
The successful completion of free practice has also allowed Zhou Guanyu to get the affirmation and attention of people in the industry.
Asked how he felt about Zhou Guanyu's performance, Alonso said, "It's great to share this day with him and the preparations for last week." He's very professional and he's worked the simulator over the last few weeks and I think he's enjoyed the whole process. ”
Alpine F1 team executive director Masin Bad Kowski said Zhou Guanyu's appearance in free practice proved that the team attaches great importance to his driver role. 'He's done a really good job, his project is what we would have had Fernando (Alonso) do – test the Pirelli prototype tyres.'
For how to balance the expectations of the outside world and his own goals, Zhou Guanyu said that he does not want to be too swayed by the outside world, or do a good job. As long as he plays at his best level, his driver's academy will help him really step into F1.
Two weeks from now, the F2 season will reignite in Silverstone, England, and Zhou Guanyu, who is currently leading the drivers' standings, will continue to fight for the annual championship.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Chen Hua Text Editor: Qin Dongying
Source: Author: Qin Dongying