PARIS – Guanyu Zhou will become China’s first-ever Formula One driver after Alfa Romeo announced today that the 22-year-old would be driving for the team.
Guanyu has been making waves in Formula Two this season and will be teaming up with Valtteri Bottas, who will be moving from Mercedes.
“To be the first-ever Chinese driver in Formula One is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history," said Guanyu.
“I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.”
Guanyu’s promotion came as Alfa Romeo announced that Italian driver Antonio Giovinazzi would leave at the end of the 2021 championship in December.
Alfa Romeo described their new signing as “a trailblazer who will write a pivotal page of his country’s motorsport history”.
Guanyu has already had a taste of Formula One as a test driver for Alpine and has long been mentioned as making the step up from Formula Two.
“I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true," Alfa Romeo quoted Guanyu, who was educated in Britain, as saying.
“It is a privilege for me to start my Formula One racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula One in the past. Now, the dream is (a) reality.” – AFP, November 16, 2021
