The renewal is just the beginning, and Zhou Guanyu has moved the front of the car to a farther future
Shanghai, September 18 (Xinhua) -- Formula One (F1) Alfa Romeo Racing recently announced that it has renewed its contract with Zhou Guanyu to continue the 2024 season, and Zhou Guanyu will go hand in hand with the team for the third consecutive year. In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Zhou Guanyu said that he hoped that he could win more points and bring more surprises to himself, the team and all Chinese fans.
As China's first official F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu made his F1 debut at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in March 2022 with a 10th-place finish. Entering the 2023 season, Zhou Guanyu has become more calm and steady, constantly making breakthroughs in the ranking. In qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu finished first in the first stage and eventually finished fifth in qualifying, setting a new record for his best F1 career qualifying.
The picture shows Zhou Guanyu after qualifying for the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Verdi Otillo)
"The improvement in qualifying this year is related to my personal maturity in driving and track interpretation, as well as my deeper trust and run-in with the team. Of course, I still have room for continuous improvement, and I hope that in the coming months, I can better hone and improve myself in preparation for my 2024 season, especially for the first Chinese Grand Prix at home. Zhou Guanyu said.
"Top racing is sometimes in the thousandths of a second, so you can only reach your full potential in high-intensity races by constantly refining your technical details and working with the team." While constantly improving himself, Zhou Guanyu and the team have also put in a lot of efforts. "Everyone has something to improve and for every race, the team and I do a lot of analysis and summary after the race, just to keep improving every detail." Zhou Guanyu said.
Full dedication in the paddock, diligent and down-to-earth; Life is sunny and friendly, lively and fashionable... Zhou Guanyu is using his own way to let the world see a more diverse, rich and confident image of a new generation of Chinese athletes, both inside and outside the arena.
The picture shows Zhou Guanyu participating in the driver parade before the F1 Canadian Grand Prix. Xinhua/Reuters
On July 14, the International Special Olympics Committee officially announced that Zhou Guanyu became Special Olympics International Global Ambassador. Zhou Guanyu said: "I hope that more people can see and feel the light of athletes, which is also the most simple and authentic happiness and beauty brought by sports." ”
As China's first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu has also won a number of personal commercial endorsement contracts. Regarding his expanding influence inside and outside the paddock, Zhou Guanyu admitted: "The title of F1 driver not only represents the top driving skills of racing cars, but also contains a test of a driver's comprehensive ability. Standing on the world's top platform in F1 has made me more aware of my responsibilities. I hope that I will set a good example for today's young people, inspire more people to work hard for their dreams through my experience, and let more people feel the value and charm of the sport of racing. ”
The picture shows Zhou Guanyu in the practice session of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Deng Zhiwei)
According to the official 2024 F1 calendar, the Chinese Grand Prix will be held at the Shanghai International Circuit from 19 to 21 April 2024.
"'Going to the Field' is where my dream began." Zhou Guanyu is very excited about the Chinese Grand Prix, "I didn't expect that 20 years later (the Chinese Grand Prix started in 2004) I would be able to race on the track as China's first F1 driver, which is a wonderful feeling, which makes me believe in the power of dreams." In the next few months, I will train harder, devote myself to the development of next year's car with the team, and look forward to bringing a wonderful race to all Chinese fans next year in my home stadium, so that more people can experience the charm of racing. ”