(East-West Question) Zhou Guanyu: How to show the world the "Chinese speed" of F1?
China News Agency, Beijing, March 18th: Zhou Guanyu: How to show the world the "Chinese speed" of F1?
Author Gao Chuyi
On November 16, 2021, the Alfa Romeo F1 team officially announced Zhou Guanyu as the official driver for the team in the 2022 season.
Zhou Guanyu, who was born in Shanghai in 1999, has thus become the first Chinese driver in the F1 race. He will complete his F1 debut with teammate Valtteri Bottas in the Bahrain opener of the F1 2022 season starting on March 18.
Recently, Zhou Guanyu said in an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East and West Questions" that on the racing field, whether from the East or the West, every driver has his own strengths and weaknesses.
It is something to be proud of to appear in the F1 race for the first time.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: Some people compare you to Yao Ming in the racing world. What do you think of this? What kind of breakthrough does joining F1 mean for the Chinese racing field?
Zhou Guanyu:
I have always dreamed of becoming an F1 driver for many years, and I have been said to be the driver closest to F1 many times.
This time I can realize my dream, and I am very happy to have such a breakthrough.
A year or two ago, I felt that the final step towards F1 seemed very close but also far away. To become an F1 driver, you need to have various conditions and factors.
The road to F1 is very difficult. According to the regulations of the FIA, drivers must get 40 points within three years and have excellent performance in F2, so that the F1 team can see your strength.
Therefore, if you want to enter F1, you must not only have the right position and opportunity, but after you have all the conditions, you also need to wait for an opportunity and then seize it.
A Chinese face appeared in the F1 paddock, making Chinese fans wait for drivers from their own country. This is something to be proud of and a breakthrough in the field of Chinese racing.
It is my greatest wish for the whole world to hear the national anthem.
Realizing my dream is only the first step. Next, I will continue to work hard to improve myself in all aspects in F1 competitions, get points as soon as possible, and show my best self.
Zhou Guanyu won the F2 British Silverstone Championship in the 2021 season.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Service reporter: Becoming an F1 racing driver has attracted much attention at home and abroad. Facing the upcoming 2022 F1 season opener, what do you expect from yourself in this race? How to prepare for the next competition?
Zhou Guanyu:
It is not easy to join the team of 20 top drivers, so in this year's F1 event, I will enjoy every race very much.
The new season has a total of 23 games throughout the year, which is not a small challenge. It requires concentration and sufficient physical fitness.
The pre-match diet distribution is very important, and the daily training should not be slack.
Sometimes I train in the gym all day, doing aerobic exercise in the morning and anaerobic exercise in the afternoon, as well as targeted training for neck and arm strength.
Before the race, I will train in the simulator to get used to the track, understand every case and every different system in the F1 event, and fully prepare for the race.
I have been exercising myself with the qualities of an F1 driver. For the new season, I don’t really need to change much in terms of physical fitness. It is more about increasing the intensity and communicating with the team, such as telling the team what driving feeling I prefer.
From the Alpine team to the Alfa Romeo team, the steering wheel feels like another world. The steering wheel keys and the feedback from each team are completely different, which requires quick adaptation.
The pressure in the highest areas of motorsport will be much greater than before, but along the way I have also grown and gained experience.
I hope to make a good debut in Bahrain, get points, and show the speed that the car should have. At the same time, I don't want to give myself too much burden.
From February 24th to 25th, 2022, the 2022 F1 pre-season test will be held at the Catalunya Circuit in Barcelona, Spain.
Zhou Guanyu, who is about to become the first Chinese driver in the F1 race this season, participated in the test on behalf of the Alfa Romeo team and officially started his F1 career.
Photo courtesy of China News Agency Qian Jun Motorsports
China News Agency reporter: You train and compete overseas all the year round. You are in a multicultural environment of the East and the West. How do you communicate and learn with the foreign players you train with? Did they influence or promote each other in the game? What characteristics of Chinese people can play an advantage in the game?
Zhou Guanyu:
I have a good relationship with my teammates and opponents, and there is no obvious cultural difference.
I have raced with many current F2 and F1 drivers.
In my life, when I participated in the training camp, I had a lot of contact with other drivers and became good friends with each other.
Some drivers who have raced and trained together in the early years can still meet on the track now.
This time, after learning that I became an F1 driver, almost all the drivers in the paddock came to congratulate me, and F1 drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Daniel Ricciardo all sent text messages.
It's amazing to be able to compete on the same stage with your idol one day.
Some former F1 engineers also gave me advice on the challenges and problems a young driver faces.
On the racing circuit, whether from the East or the West, every driver has his own strengths and weaknesses, and you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each driver.
More importantly, keep improving your shortcomings.
For example, some drivers drive more fiercely, while others choose to drive steadily. The different performances of drivers are more due to the differences in each person's personality and driving style, and have nothing to do with where they come from.
As a Chinese driver, my own characteristics are persistence and hard work.
I have raced with European drivers since karting events, including later in the platform of formula racing.
Along the way, there was no guide, and in the difficult times, I groped and walked through every step by myself.
Especially as a Chinese driver, you need to work harder, because there has never been a Chinese face in the F1 race. It is too difficult to be the "first person", so you need to pay more behind the scenes, and at the same time you must be able to choose.
I'm so happy that I can stick to my dream until this year.
Zhou Guanyu won the 2021 F2 Monaco Championship.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Agency reporter: In September last year, you drove Fernando Alonso's car to complete the practice session in the first practice in Austria. How has Alonso helped and inspired you? In the future, do you also hope to help more young drivers enter the international arena?
Zhou Guanyu: In
recent years, Alonso has given me a lot of help.
In F1 and F2 races, there is rarely any help from other drivers, and more communication usually comes from the team's engineers.
And Alonso, not only my idol, but also a two-time world champion, he is very willing and unreserved to help me, which is worthy of admiration.
Before participating in the F1 practice race for the first time, we had a lot of exchanges, and he gave me a lot of advice in terms of testing.
Later, when he learned that he would participate in the first training of the 2021 season in Austria, Alonso told me very early that he could communicate with him if he had any questions.
During the practice game, he patiently answered my various doubts, walked with me on the track, and shared his past experiences.
In the end, I didn't let him down either, and both myself and the team were quite satisfied with the final result.
The racing culture started in Europe, and the drivers all hope to participate in higher-level competition overseas and find their own new breakthrough point in the world level.
In the future, I am also very willing to help more young drivers to go to the top international racing events.
At this stage, I need to continue to achieve the small goals set for each stage and start the F1 race well.
Of course, I also hope that more young Chinese drivers can have this dream like me and try to realize it.
Zhou Guanyu participates in the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi post-season test.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Service: In your opinion, has the participation of Chinese drivers in international racing events increased in recent years? In order to deeply participate in the competition on the international stage, what improvements have been made in China's racing environment, hardware conditions and racing culture?
Zhou Guanyu:
First of all, from the most intuitive point of view, the Chinese Grand Prix is becoming more and more familiar to people, and its ticket sales increase every year. I believe that in the future, more people who love racing will go to the scene to watch the race.
Secondly, more and more young people leave their hometowns and go overseas to participate in kart races and formula races. Even if it is difficult for many people to persevere, I know how they feel when racing and training overseas.
If you really like racing, like me, you can dedicate everything you have to it, starting from karting, and then starting more professional and professional training internationally, growing and breaking through in the highest level platform, Step by step to become an F1 driver.
It all requires doubling down and always having faith.
Like I said before, I feel like racing is part of my life.
Sports need to speak with results.
With the results, everyone will know that the Chinese can do well in the racing field.
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Zhou Guanyu, born in Shanghai, China in 1999, is a Chinese racing athlete.
In 2015, he won the F4 annual runner-up, in 2016, he won the European F3 third place. In 2018, he became the first Chinese driver to win the F3 championship. In 2020, he became the first Chinese driver to win the F2 championship.
On November 16, 2021, he became the first F1 racing driver in Chinese history.
In 2021, on December 12, he won the third place in the 2021 F2 Championship.