Today (April 21), F1 ushered in the first Chinese race day in five years. In the end, China's first official F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, made his home debut in 14th place, becoming the first Chinese driver in F1 history to finish in China. After finishing the race at home, according to the "special courtesy" of the race, Zhou Guanyu, who successfully crossed the finish line, stopped on the grid with the top three and accepted the cheers of Chinese fans. In the applause of the fans, Zhou Guanyu burst into tears.
In the 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu finished 14th, and after the race, he cried excitedly in front of the audience According to Visual China
Thunderous applause
Although he didn't get points, his performance was still remarkable
In today's race, Yao Ming and Gu Ailing appeared on the scene one after another to cheer for Zhou Guanyu. Before the race, F1 "third-year" Zhou Guanyu appeared on the track for an interview, as the first Chinese F1 driver to debut at home, the audience applauded and cheered: "Guanyu Guanyu!"
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the F1 Chinese Grand Prix officially started. As soon as Zhou Guanyu and his No. 24 Sauber car appeared, the audience erupted in cheers again. The dream of several generations of Chinese racers became a reality at the moment when the national anthem was played, and at the moment when Zhou Guanyu drove onto the track.
Although he failed to score points at home, Zhou Guanyu's performance in this battle was remarkable: on the 39th lap, Zhou Guanyu used the DRS before Turn 14 to chase after Sargent easily overtook him, and the front director immediately pushed the camera to Chinese fans, and the whole audience was boiling; on the 50th lap, Zhou Guanyu used the tire advantage to catch up with Sargent and completed the overtake at Turn 14 again; on the 54th lap, Zhou Guanyu chased after Magnussen and also overtook him at Turn 14!
In this Chinese Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu gave the fans the best greeting gift: he performed well in his home debut on the 19th, advanced to the third quarter of the sprint qualifying round, and finally ranked 10th, and in the sprint race on the 20th, he started in 10th place and finally finished in 9th place, just one step away from the points area, and won the Earth Group championship. For Zhou Guanyu, whose future is uncertain next season, the F1 Chinese Grand Prix is the most important stop of the year.
Zhou Guanyu waved to the audience according to Visual China
Tears spilled on the scene
I've only cried twice in 10 years, the last time was when I entered F1
In the past few days, on the subway leading to the Shanghai International Circuit, many fans rushed to the scene with the huge Zhou Guanyu to support the surroundings. "I think it's amazing that Guanyu is able to compete with these international athletes. No matter what, we're going to support him. After the race, fan Liu Yining told reporters that becoming an F1 driver requires not only agile reaction speed, superb driving skills, but also super core strength. As the first Chinese to compete in F1, Zhou Guanyu is undoubtedly the pride of China.
In 2021, Alfa Romeo announced in an announcement that Zhou Guanyu would compete in the 2022 season as China's first F1 driver. Since then, every step forward by Zhou Guanyu has actually been a breakthrough.
In his first home game, Zhou Guanyu's helmet was printed with the Shanghai Metro route map, from the little boy watching the game from the stands, to now bringing the national flag to the F1 field, Zhou Guanyu has ignited the dreams of many people. As he said to the Red Star News reporter before the race: "I hope that through my performance on the international stage, I can win more attention and respect for China's racing industry, stimulate more Chinese people's interest and love for motorsports, and gradually establish China's racing culture." ”
As the first man, Zhou Guanyu is also well aware of his responsibilities, saying: "As China's first F1 driver, I knew I needed to do more. ”
In an interview after the race, Zhou Guanyu said that he had only cried twice in the past 10 years, "The first time my agent called me and told me that I signed a contract as an F1 driver, which was in 2021. The second time was in the lap of the race today, thinking about my 20 years of experience and the difficulties that people can't see in front of the TV...... Before, I could never have imagined that I would become an F1 driver and one day stand on my home turf...... It's exciting to think about it, and I'm enjoying the weekend at the same time. Unforgettable!"
Zhou Guanyu was excited and cried in front of the audience after the game, according to Visual China
Red Star News reporter Pei Han Zhou Yao
Edited by Cheng Li
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