Guanyu Zhou is the first F1 driver who hails from China. However, by the time he made his debut, his home government had decided to withdraw itself from organizing the races for the foreseeable future owing to Covid-19 concerns.
It would hurt the Chinese race driver even more. Before the pandemic, China was one of the hottest F1 destinations. Over the last decade, races consistently happened.
The event was so successful that China had a long-term agreement. F1 was gradually piercing into their domestic market, and they only needed a driver from there to have a cherry on the cake. Alas, China has been without a race for the last three years.
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Guanyu Zhou inches closer to a home race
In the latest revelation, there is a ray of sunshine for Zhou. According to RacingNews365, Juss Events, promoter of the Chinese Grand Prix, intends to organize the event on its original dates– 14-16 April.
This development was after the Chinese government reportedly became willing to bring international sporting action back to the country. Thus, F1 could be their first entry since the Winter Olympics 2022 due to the proximity of the dates.
China is lifting its blockade on international travellers on January 8. So, after that, China would aim for normalcy after being hit by a mammoth number of cases.
Moreover, a Chinese driver bringing back a major sport to the country would be even more positive for the Chinese government. Now, it remains to be seen whether this report gets officially done.
The special sophomore year
Zhou had an impressive rookie year. He surpassed all the expectations and silenced his critics by earning his career points in his debut race. He has a contract renewal and will be on the grid for 2023.
Our 2022 Rookie of the Year is @alfaromeoorlen F1 driver, @zhouguanyu24 💪
The rookie scored points on his F1 debut, and, despite several unfortunate technical retirements, he helped Alfa Romeo secure P6 in the championship ahead of Aston Martin 👏#AutosportAwards #Autosport pic.twitter.com/jGD9r6z6ld
— Autosport (@autosport) December 4, 2022
Initially, Zhou got harsh treatment for replacing Antonio Giovinazzi and was termed a pay driver as he had a huge financial backing that granted him a chance in F1.
But he proved that he also got merit to vie in the big league. Now, ahead of the new season, he needs to outdo himself. His biggest competition would be his teammate Valterri Bottas. If he beats the veteran driver in the same machinery, his reputation will surely shoot up.
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