Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu on the doubts, stress and mechanical failures that paved his rocky road to Formula One

Zhou Guanyu has been fast-tracked to history as China’s first full-time Formula One driver, but the headlines that followed his rise hide the hard times he has faced along the way.

Zhou points to his second season in Formula 2 in 2020 as an example, and how car troubles led to doubts, and to growing stress given that the sport is all about results, as well as showing you can face down adversity and find a way to conquer it.

A contract with Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen – signed this past November – and a chance to join the Formula 1 circuit alongside the likes of Lewis Hamilton, arguably the greatest driver the sport has ever known, and reigning champion Max Verstappen, show how Zhou managed to turn some poor results around, what with four victories on the way to third place overall in his third season of F2.

But there’s no escaping – or forgetting – those moments of worry.

“I have had struggles,” the 22-year-old said. “I have even had some doubts a little bit about myself. It has been tough sometimes on the mental side of things but I think that all made me stronger for last year. I learned how to keep myself motivated, and I learned that you can always figure out a way around problems. I learned that no matter what you have to find a way to find the momentum to keep going forward.”

After signing on with UNI-Virtuosi as an F2 rookie in 2019, Zhou started his second season flying, taking pole for the opening round at the Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, and looking to build on the noise that had been generated after he finished as the leading rookie in his debut season.

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Zhou had come in wanting to make a noise and knowing the eyes of the motorsport world, including those of the F1 power brokers, would be on every move he made. And he led for much of the race before being cruelly denied by mechanical problems – a recurring theme across the season. While Zhou claimed his first F2 victory at Sochi, he eventually finished the season sixth overall, and disappointed.

“I had some downtimes back then,” he said. “There were tough times but I never thought about giving up. There were a few times like last season [2020] when I started from pole in the first round and we broke down.

“That was after my rookie year and I really wanted to show what I could do but it just didn’t work out. So then there was pressure coming into this past season. I knew that I had to start so strong. But the thinking I came in with was it couldn’t be any worse than my first season. I just had to get the results, and do what I know I can do.”

The Chinese driver said the adversity spurred him to work even harder coming into the 2021 F2 season. He signed on for the F3 Asian Championship with Prema Racing early in the year – and he won the title with four wins and seven other podium finishes across the 15 rounds. And he worked tirelessly on the track with UNI-Virtuosi once preparations for 2021 F2 began.

A common thread throughout Zhou’s career has been a need for recognition, something that weighs on all Chinese drivers, arguably more so than those from any other nation given the fact motorsports are relatively new to the country. Zhou said it was taken as a given, early on, that he would have to be a flag-bearer, showing what could be achieved both out on the track and beyond.

“I have always known I have a role to play in promoting the sport in China and in helping get people interested in the sport,” he said. “I hope that there are kids looking at me and thinking that they might be able to do this as well.”

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Zhou is now readying himself for preseason testing at the Alfa Romeo facility in Switzerland, getting to know teammate Valtteri Bottas and no doubt grilling the veteran for insights into life on the F1 circuit, given the Finn has 10 Grands Prix victories to his credit.

A recent Instagram post has an illustrated version of the Chinese driver decked out in the Alfa Romeo colours – and Zhou cannot wait for the real thing, and the flag to fall at the start of the 2022 season on March 20 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“I have grown quite a lot and am learning how, as a driver, to be more mature,” Zhou said. “It’s good that I have tough times and that I am now stronger because of that. Every year there has been quite a decent improvement in myself.

“Of course there is still more to come, and I know that this year I have achieved my dream [of F1] but there is a lot more work to be done.”