"I can't control what certain people think" - Guanyu Zhou on being labeled as a pay driver

2022 F1 rookie Guanyu Zhou claims he can't control what people think of him in the sport. Many have labeled him a pay driver despite his stellar performances in F2.

The Chinese driver is the first from his country to make his way into F1 and will star alongside Mercedes veteran Valtteri Bottas in Alfa Romeo. Guanyu placed third in the 2021 F2 season, having scored 183 points with four wins. Many people, however, believe the 22-year-old has a backing of $48 million in F1, which helped him take Antonio Giovinazzi's seat. Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur has denied any such speculation, claiming Guanyu got into the team on his own merit.

Speaking to Blick, Guanyu Zhou commented on rumors of his status as F1's latest 'pay driver' by saying:

“I can't control what certain people think. I think I showed in Formula 2 that I have what it takes to be in Formula 1. I won races there and fought for the title. Now it's up to me to show my skills in Formula 1 as well. I can't wait to get started!”

While it is common knowledge that F1 is no meritocracy, fans hope that the future of the sport is not tainted by drivers buying their way into the sport.

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Alfa Romeo boss believes Guanyu Zhou can follow in the footsteps of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc

Alfa Romeo boss Frédéric Vasseur claims rookie Guanyu Zhou can learn from drivers like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the upcoming season. Vasseur believes Guanyu can follow in the footsteps of two of his fellow drivers, who have turned out on the highest rung of F1 without spending too long in pre-season practice periods.

F1 teams only get three days of testing per driver. This arrangement puts rookies such as Guanyu at a huge disadvantage as they have likely never driven F1 cars before this period. Despite being well-versed with F2 cars, many struggle with the sheer speed of F1 machines in their rookie years.

Having to work mostly with simulators, rookie drivers often struggle to get up to pace in their new machinery when the season starts. As per Vasseur, however, drivers such as Verstappen and Leclerc have proved that it is possible to get to grips with a new car despite a lack of on-track experience. He said:

“If you have a look at the last couple of seasons, it seems to work for the young kids. With Max Verstappen, he came into F1 without a large background. With Charles [Leclerc], he did well the first season. With [George] Russell, with [Lando] Norris, they did well in the first season. We have different tools compared to the past with the simulator but I think that, also, the young kids are much more mature today than they were 20 years ago.”

Guanyu Zhou is set to be 2022's only rookie, with all eyes on the Chinese driver. Only time will tell if he can follow in the footsteps of Verstappen and Leclerc and rise to the top steps of the sport in years to come.