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In recent news, Zhou Guanyu's contract was further extended with Alfa Romeo after having made his F1 debut with them this season. He is the first-ever Chinese driver to be in the sport and has been performing well given his experience and the car he is driving.
Zhou drives alongside Valtteri Bottas, one of the most experienced drivers, and has claimed that he has had a lot to learn from the Finn. He said:
“It felt like this first year working together [with Bottas] has been very successful. I’m happy with my team, happy with my teammate who has been extremely helpful through the season. I learned a lot from Valtteri and the team.”
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In his very debut race in Bahrain, he managed to hold onto P10. Scoring points in one's debut race is considered a sign of a successful future driver in the sport, and Zhou Guanyu has managed to do that.
There have been other impressive skills from him as well, one being the save at the Monaco GP, which could have seen him crashing out of the race. There have also been pullbacks as well, however. Poor reliability has caused him to lose a lot of opportunities, and his infamous crash at the start of the British GP adds to the list.
Fans have mixed reactions to Zhou Guanyu's contract extension with Alfa Romeo
Fans on Twitter seemed to be divided in their opinion of Zhou Guanyu's contract extension. While some appreciated the Chinese and his driving style, others believed there are more worthy drivers who deserve a seat. Here are some of the reactions:
Zhou Guanyu believes his next F1 season will be more demanding
Being the first-ever Chinese F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu believes that the pressure from his nation has made him perform how he has until now. He said:
“Last year, [my country] wanted me to be the first ever F1 Chinese driver. Now they want me to carry on. I have to keep pushing and always thinking that even though I did points on my debut or a very good Q3 attempt, it’s not enough. I’m still wanting more.”
“This season hasn’t been an easy season for me. There was a lot of pressure for me to handle straight from the off.”
Zhou also stated that his people previously wanted him to be in the sport, and now the expectations have risen, and thus believes that he will have to perform way better in the upcoming season.
