F1 Chinese Grand Prix: at least 10 years before another China driver makes it into Formula 1, says trailblazer Zhou Guanyu
- The first local driver to race at the Shanghai race is unlikely to be joined soon by any compatriots as there are no Chinese drivers in the feeder series
- The Shanghai native puts this down to China’s relatively short involvement with, and lack of government financial backing in, international motorsport
Zhou Guanyu said it could take at least another 10 years before the next Chinese driver makes it into Formula One, and said the sacrifice and hard work needed behind the scenes always meant very few reached the elite level.
The 24-year-old will make history this weekend when he becomes the first local driver to race at the grand prix in Shanghai, and having already blazed a trail as the country’s only F1 racer, knows what it takes to reach the top.
However, with no Chinese drivers competing in the F2 or F3 feeder series, there appears to be little prospect of Zhou’s compatriots joining him on the F1 grid soon – a fact the Shanghai native puts down to China’s relatively short involvement with top-level international motorsport.
“I think, mainly, the history and culture with motorsport [in China] only started 20 years ago,” Zhou said at the Chinese Grand Prix drivers’ press conference.
“To be able to have more [Chinese] drivers on this grid is going to be very difficult for the next five, 10 years.”
While Zhou is F1’s only ever Chinese racer, there have been several drivers from Japan in the championship over the past 30 years, and Zhou cited that country as an example of a much longer-established history in top-level motorsport, with well-financed corporate programmes that single out talented youngsters and support their careers.
“A perfect example is Honda. They have this ‘Honda Dream Project’ and you have young drivers who get picked up from a very young age, and the culture of motorsport in Japan is very high,” said Zhou.