Valtteri Bottas is not known for being a great talker, but at the moment Guanyu Zhou is far less talkative than his new teammate. At twenty-two, this boy from Shanghai is ready for a historic event: to carry the Chinese flag on the starting grid of a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
A considerable pressure that is added to that which normally every driver feels on the eve of his first race in the Circus. For Alfa Romeo F1 Zhou is a bet but not a gamble, having long since followed his path in the preparatory formulas. The great challenge that awaits Guanyu is time, not so much that marked by the chronometer, but rather that necessary to focus on a context that is anything but easy like Formula 1.
But it would be a mistake to consider the former Ferrari and Alpine ‘pupil’ a boy without the necessary foundations to test himself, his CV is not inferior to that of other drivers promoted in Formula 1, and above all he confirmed a progression that led him to finish last season in third place, a necessary position to conquer the coveted super license.
Zhou will be able to focus on himself, the team knows he will need time and Guanyu will also be able to count on a reference of weight like Bottas. His story will be one of the many that will write the 2022 season, but beyond the results that Zhou will be able to obtain, his debut will be a historic moment, which could influence the future of Formula 1 much more than it appears today. .
You are a very young driver, but you have already been part of the Ferrari and Alpine junior programs. How important were these experiences?
“These were opportunities that came in two distinct phases of my career. That in Ferrari coincided with my first year in a single-seater, in Formula 4. Having a junior program is undoubtedly a great help for a young driver, you immediately begin to understand what you need to learn to be able to take the road that leads to Formula 1, and also having assistance on the track by the engineers was an added value for me. The transition to Alpine coincided with the beginning of my experience in Formula 2, which so far has been the most important phase of my competitive path. The transition from Ferrari to Alpine was motivated only by the greater opportunities to be involved in the Formula 1 project, from work on the simulator to track tests “.
Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo Racing
Photo by: Alfa Romeo
Have you found any differences in approach between the two realities?
“Each team has its own way of operating, but in the end the objectives coincide, everyone wants to be at the top, to work in the best possible way. For me they were excellent opportunities, because today I can face my first Formula 1 World Championship with a minimum of knowledge, I had the opportunity to test on the track and to understand how a team works. I am very grateful to have been part of the junior programs of two important teams, and today I appreciate the work done even more ”.
Before the race weekend that opens the season you will have three days of testing. It is still better than last year, when the days were half, but do you think it will be enough to familiarize yourself with the team and the car?
“It will never be enough to understand everything thoroughly, and I think the first race weekend will be much more in the end. From my experience I understood that tests always explore something different from racing, they help to understand many aspects of the car, but nothing is like the race weekend. I can’t wait for the Bahrain weekend to understand what the general hierarchies will be. I believe that a lot will depend on how well and quickly we adapt to the news and on the ability to quickly find the right direction for the development of the car. Returning to the question, three days of testing will not be enough to answer all my questions, but I am confident and above all ready to adapt to a different guide ”.
Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo Racing
Photo by: Alfa Romeo
Your debut in Formula 1 coincides with that of the first Chinese driver ever. Is that something that puts some pressure on you?
“Well, I felt under a lot of pressure before the deal was concluded there were so many rumors, and my country really wanted me to be Formula 1. I was aware that if we didn’t manage to realize everything for 2022 the opportunities in future would have been much less, and when everything was finally formalized the pressure dropped considerably “.
“Then I am aware that this year I will be on an enormously bigger stage, but it is nothing new to have to deal with the pressure, after all I have always felt it on my shoulders but it has not stopped me from continuing to improve and get results on the track. In China they are all very excited about the arrival of the season, there is a countdown underway in view of the first race. there is the home Grand Prix, but he will be back soon ”.
Are you a little afraid that the general public will not give you a lot of time to familiarize yourself with a challenging context like Formula 1? Are you afraid of being judged after a few races?
“I am aware that after the first races there will already be judgments, of course, but it is an aspect that all the drivers who arrive in Formula 1 deal with. Communication via internet has made a contribution in this sense, it is all a lot more popular but also the judgments are more hasty. For my part, I know I need time to adapt and I don’t expect too soon. I want to approach things as I think it is right to do, to develop my skills by adapting myself step by step to the context “.
“Obviously I want to do it as quickly as possible, but as always in these cases there is a learning curve, and especially in the first half of the season I will have to adapt to many scenarios. The important thing will be to verify progressive growth, improve race after race, and understand what I can aim for in the second half of the championship “.
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42
Photo by: Davide Cavazza
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