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Guanyu Zhou Reveals One Thing That Helps Him Bond With Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Guanyu Zhou reveals one thing that helps him bond with Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo

Guanyu Zhou made history in 2022 when he became the first Chinese driver to land a full-time seat in F1. The Shanghai-born driver’s appointment at Alfa Romeo was met with some criticism because a portion of the F1 community labeled him as an F1 driver. However, once the season started, Zhou proved his worth by putting in some spectacular performances, including a points finish in his debut.

Zhou’s teammate during his rookie year in F1 was Valtteri Bottas. The 10-time Grand Prix winner in F1 left Mercedes after five years to join Alfa Romeo, and he immediately hit it off with Zhou. The Finn insisted that he wanted to use his experience to help his young teammate adapt to F1 and get better.

Now that a year has passed, Zhou admits that Bottas’ friendship and guidance have been key to his growth in F1. Off the track, they have also developed a good relationship and it seems as though Bottas has introduced Zhou to some new things that they now bond over!

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Lewis Hamilton is the Most Generous Driver on the Grid

Guanyu Zhou & Valtteri Bottas bond over their love for coffee

The fact that Bottas loves coffee is not really a secret as the 33-year-old has showcased his liking towards the beverage on several occasions. However, before joining Alfa Romeo, Zhou had only two cups of coffee in the last four-five years. This was revealed why Zhou himself during an interview with Sky Sports at the Alfa Romeo car launch.

Alfa Romeo’s car launch involved Bottas, Zhou and even their reserve driver Theo Pourchaire. After the event, the three of them were part of an interview where the host asked Zhou if he shared Bottas’ love for coffee. The former admitted that having coffee has now become a very regular thing for him.

Zhou now, has coffee every single day and sometimes has more than one cup during a race weekend. Zhou went on to say that the coffee Bottas makes himself is ‘delicious’ but he still does not drink as much coffee as the former Mercedes driver does.

Also read: Charles Leclerc Baffled as Carlos Sainz Realises He Can Use a Steering Wheel While Racing

Bottas aiming for more consistency & points

After spending five years with a title winning outfit, Bottas time at Alfa Romeo was always going to feel different. However, they did make major strides last year and ended the season in sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

2022 was a big year for Alfa Romeo, but a lot of people noticed their lack in consistency which sometimes limited their charge up the field. Ahead of the 2023 season, Bottas’ main goal along with Alfa Romeo’s, is to improve their consistency.

This will help them score points as they aim to hold on to at least sixth place in the constructors’ championship for the upcoming campaign.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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