Formula 1: Zhou Guanyu’s rebound ‘remarkable’ says Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur
- After some initial engine problems, Zhou Guanyu clawed his way back from pit lane to start Austrian Grand Prix in 14th place
- Max Verstappen took a comfortable win in the Sprint, while teammate Sergio Perez put in a fine recovery from 13th to P5
Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur has praised Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu for his “remarkable” comeback ahead of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
“Zhou’s performance was remarkable,” Vasseur said. “Going from the pit lane to 14th at the flag while showing really good speed. It was a really good comeback after a difficult Saturday.”
That difficult Saturday saw Zhou’s engine cut out on the formation lap, forcing him to start from the pit lane. Zhou, however, made an impressive recovery.
“At the end of the formation lap, right before the last corner, my engine suddenly switched off,” the Chinese rookie said.
“That was very strange, and the first time happening to me; I had to do the whole switch-off procedure, and that took a bit longer but luckily, we got going again.
“Apart from that, the race has been very enjoyable for me, it was a good comeback from last week’s crash, and I managed to confidently attack and move up the grid.”