Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu is a Chinese racing driver who competes in Formula One for Sauber, becoming the first and only Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. Zhou signed with Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season of Formula One alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas. Zhou debuted in Formula One at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix driving the No. 24 for Alpha Romeo, qualifying 15th on the track and finishing 10th, scoring a point on his debut. Zhou also holds the title of Formula Regional Asian Championship (F3 Asian).

Zhou Guanyu Personal Information

Zhou Guanyu's Early Life

Born on 30 May 1999, Zhou started karting at eight in China but moved to Sheffield in 2012 for more exposure to a competitive racing environment. Before moving to Sheffield, Zhou proved himself in many Chinese championships. His early racing achievements included winning the Super 1 National Rotax Max Junior Championship and the Rotax Max Euro Challenge in the Strawberry Racing team.

Zhou entered F4 in 2015, he began his journey as a racing driver in the Italian Formula 4 Championship and won three races in Round 2 at Monza. His season came to a close with him being awarded as the best rookie and vice-champion. Zhou progressed to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2016 and joined Team Motorpark for the season. The following year he rejoined Prema for two years, finishing eighth in 2017 and 2018.

Zhou joined UNI-Virtuosi Racing for the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship. At Silverstone, Zhou scored his first Formula 2 pole position, becoming the first Chinese driver to do so. In 2020, Zhou won his first-ever Formula 2 race in Sochi. In 2021, Zhou won another race in Formula 2. In three years with UNI-Virtuosi Racing, Zhoue finished seventh, sixth, and third respectively. In 2014, Zhou was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy while still competing in karting. After leaving the academy, Zhou joined the Renault Sport Academy before his move to Formula 2. After joining Formula One as a test driver for Renault in 2020, Zhou became the first Chinese driver to drive in Formula One after Alpha Romeo announced that Zhou would be driving an Alpha Romeo car in the 2022 Formula One season.

Zhou Guanyu’s Personal Life

Besides racing, Zhou learned golfing when he was a kid. He is a huge football fan and as he grew up in Sheffield, football was just around the corner for him to watch and play. Zhou is a huge fan of Real Madrid.

Zhou Guanyu’s Social Media

Zhou has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and 519.6k followers on X. He posts on both platforms uniformly, giving his fans a peek into his personal as well as professional life on the track.

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/zhouguanyu24/?hl=en
• X- https://x.com/ZhouGuanyu24/media

Zhou Guanyu Brand Ambassador

Zhou is a brand ambassador for multiple brands including:

1. Dior

2. Lululemon

3. McDonald’s

4. Puma

5. Chivas

Zhou Guanyu’s Career Stats

Zhou has not been victorious in the Formula One Championship but has won races in Formula 2 when he was with UNI-Virtuosi Racing. Zhou has won a total of five races, and three pole positions throughout his Formula 2 career.

Zhou Guanyu’s Formula 1 Records

Zhou has multiple records to his name, including-

1. The first Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1 in 2022.

2. Zhou holds the track record at Silverstone in Formula 2.

Zhou Guanyu’s Race Wins/Podium Finishes

Zhou has had 65 race starts in Formula One but has not recorded a win or even landed a podium finish yet. He debuted in the Formula One Championship at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix and his last race was at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix where he ended in the 15th position.

Zhou Guanyu’s Contract

After Alpha Romeo, Zhou signed a contract with Sauber but in his Instagram and X posts, he expressed that he would not be going forward with Sauber in the 2025 Formula One Season. His next team’s name and contract are unknown as of now.

Zhou Guanyu’s Awards

Zhou has been awarded during his time in the Formula 2 championship. The two awards include-

1. 2019 Anthoine Hubert Award

2. 2022 Autosport Rookie of the Year

Zhou Guanyu’s Diet

Although the regular day-to-day diet of Zhou is not disclosed, in an interview, Zhou stated some of his favorite foods in his hometown are Da Bing and You Tiao. He further describes that Da Bing is like a sweet pancake and You Tiao is like a fried sweet donut, according to F1’s official website.

Zhou Guanyu’s Cars

While the personal cars of Zhou are not known, the cars he has raced in are:

1. Alpha Romeo (2022-2023)

2. Sauber (2024)