- Zhou Guanyu is optimistic that he will stay longer in Formula 1
- The Chinese driver describes F1 as unforgiving due to the high levels of competition
- This ruthlessness makes F1 hard enough but is hopeful to continue with the grid
Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu is optimistic that he will stay longer in Formula 1 even as his contract expires at the end of this season but admits racing is hard.
Ganyu is in his second season with Alfa Romeo and he is glad that he is among the 20 team drivers in F1.
As one of the youngest drivers in the circuit, he says that F1 is ruthlessly unforgiving due to its high level of competition.
He said that the sport is so brutal that it rarely gives second chances.
I’m sure that’s how it is. In other categories, you always know that if you do well, you can move up. If you make a mistake, maybe next year, you still have another chance,” he told Total-Motorsport.com.
Guanyu Zhou. Photo/FormulaNerds
“So this sport is hard, for all the drivers, that’s how it goes, and I’m sure that the most important [thing] for drivers is just starting [the season] where I finished off to become a complete driver,” he adds.
The Chinese driver’s objectives for this season are to leave a good impression on the paddock and secure a spot in 2024.
He hopes that Aston Martin will see his hard work because he is working hard to stay with the team.
Zhou Guanyu performed brilliantly in his first race last year, earning points. His season was ruined by technical retirements, despite the fact that he underperformed his more seasoned teammate Valtteri Bottas.
His performance increased as the season went on since he started keeping up with his teammate’s pace.
Zhou was vastly outperformed by Bottas last year, but after three races in 2023, he already seems to be a much more assured driver.
Guanyu identified with Oscar Piastri, a former F2 rival who had a similar beginning to his F1 career. The Australian, who is driving an MCL60 that isn’t competitive, has had a rocky start to his first season at McLaren.
He said that despite the low performance, he picked the pace along and delivered for his team.
Guanyu Zhou. Photo/SportRush
“I think it was very relative to me last year. He didn’t have the best start, but still, he showed he has the speed [particularly] in Q3 in Jeddah. That was quite impressive from him. So firstly, happy to see him, and I knew that he will be here in F1. It’s good to see him on the grid this year racing together,” he added.
Even in the relatively successful first half of Alfa Romeo’s 2022 Formula 1 season, the team’s car had a glaring flaw that was slowing it down.
Low-speed corner proficiency was the underlying force behind the performance that allowed Valtteri Bottas to qualify in the top eight for five of his first six Alfa Romeo starts.
Performance was hindered in places with greater speeds by a little rear-end instability. Bottas cited improvement in that crucial area during his first proper run in the 2023 vehicle.
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