Formula One: Zhou Guanyu ready to ‘push the limit’ in second season with Alfa Romeo
- Chinese driver enters year with new targets in mind on and off the track, and they’re bigger than just getting points in a race
- A return to see family in China during the off-season has refreshed Zhou and given him a renewed focus
Zhou Guanyu feels fresher than ever entering his second season as a Formula One driver, and has a whole new list of targets in his sights on and off the track.
The Chinese driver made an impressive start to his time with Alfa Romeo, winning a point in his first Grand Prix, in Bahrain, and gradually ticking off the goals he had set himself.
From reaching the third stage of qualifying to finishing eighth at the Canadian Grand Prix, Zhou’s rookie year might have been even better if the team had not been beset by mechanical problems, forcing him to retire on several occasions.
That inconsistency, and the car’s pace at the start, are areas he believes need to improve so he can “absolutely push the limit” in his performance.
“For my side, goals will be a little bigger than single race targets,” he said. “So, it’ll be more about trying to maximise the car, it’s performance and trying to give it everything I have, and if we’re a bit more consistent that can definitely pay off.”
Zhou acknowledges that he took time getting used to his new surrounds last year, and that, along with the “lot of bad luck when the car was very strong”, created a difficult environment.