“This sport is hard…”: Zhou Guanyu opens up about his future in F1
Entering his second season in F1, Zhou Guanyu believes he has lots to prove this year. The Alfa Romeo driver's contract expires at the end of the 2023 season and is confident about staying in the sport for a longer time.
Formula 1 is the most elite level of racing with just 20 seats on offer. F1 teams keep rotating their lineups every two to three seasons, getting rid of the underperformers. This makes the sport one of the most competitive and ruthless series in the world.
Zhou Guanyu, one of the younger drivers on the grid, believes that F1 teams rarely give second chances these days. Opening up about the struggles a driver faces in his early career, the 23-year-old said in an interview with Total-Motorsport.com:
"I’m sure that’s how it is. In other categories, you always know that if you do well, you can move up. If you make a mistake, maybe next year, you still have another chance."
He added:
"So this sport is hard, for all the drivers, that’s how it goes, and I’m sure that the most important [thing] for drivers is just starting [the season] where I finished off to become a complete driver."
Speaking about his goals for this season, the Chinese driver aims to make a positive impression on the paddock to keep his seat for the following season. He said:
"If the team and the paddock can see that. There’s no question why I couldn’t stay longer because I always aim to try and stay here as long as I can until I finish racing."
Zhou Guanyu impressed on his debut last year, scoring points in his maiden race. Although he was outperformed by his more experienced teammate Valtteri Bottas, his season was marred by technical retirements. As the season progressed, his performance improved as he began matching his teammate's pace.
While he was comprehensively outscored by his teammate last season, Zhou appears to be a much more confident driver three races into the 2023 season.
Zhou Guanyu compares his rookie year to Oscar Piastri's early days in F1
Zhou Guanyu sympathized with his former F2 competitor Oscar Piastri, having had a similar start to his F1 career. Making his debut with McLaren, the Aussie has had a shaky start to his rookie season, driving an uncompetitive MCL60.
The Chinese driver said:
"I think it was very relative to me last year. He didn’t have the best start, but still, he showed he has the speed [particularly] in Q3 in Jeddah. That was quite impressive from him. So firstly, happy to see him, and I knew that he will be here in F1. It’s good to see him on the grid this year racing together."
He added:
"Apart from that, I think [he’s] just having a rocky patch you have to break through [it], and with more time, [it] just suddenly clicks inside you. I am sure in a few races, he’ll be there."
The 2021 F2 champion has shown flashes of speed in the first three races and is banking on upgrades in Baku to make a fresh start to his rookie campaign.