The Paper's reporter Qi Dong
On September 27, the 2020 FIA F2 Championship in Sochi, Russia, an accident in the second leg of the sprint triggered a red flag, and the Pole Departure Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu won the championship.
Although the process was somewhat unexpected, this championship was a real milestone in Zhou Guanyu's career as the first F2 racer of his career, and he also made history for Chinese racing, becoming the first Chinese driver in history to win the F2 race.
Zhou Guanyu, who has been exposed to karting since he was 7 years old and showed his racing talent as a teenager, is moving forward on the professional road, he just "promoted" to F2 last year, and now he has shown a good strength.
In addition, he has signed a contract with the Renault Sports Academy to become the development driver of the Renault F1 team, becoming the first driver in China to sign an F1 team. The track of Formula 1 is the goal of his next effort.
Zhou Guanyu won the F2 race.
Showed racing talent from an early age
Originally from Shanghai, Zhou Guanyu was introduced to go-karts at the age of 7 and soon began to sweep opponents in the domestic arena, winning all eight sub-stations of the National Championship at the age of 10.
At the age of 15, he joined the Ferrari Drivers' Academy, which has always retained only four drivers. In 2015 he finished second in F4 and became the only rookie driver in the top three before taking on F3 in 2016.
When he first participated in the F3 competition, the first stop Zhou Guanyu stood on the podium, heard the national anthem played, and he himself admitted, "This feeling makes me unforgettable for a long time." ”
In 2018, Zhou Guanyu's performance in F3 was impressive, with a total of two titles, three shots and six podium finishes throughout the season. Subsequently, in 2019, Zhou Guanyu was promoted to the F2 arena and became the development driver of the Renault F1 team, while participating in F2 racing.
As a result, he became the first driver in China to sign an F1 team and the star of hope in the Chinese racing industry closest to the F1 circuit.
In May 2019, Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese driver to reach the F2 podium.
As early as last May, Zhou Guanyu had already made history, and he finished third in the first leg of the F2 Spanish race, becoming the first Chinese driver to reach the F2 podium.
At that time, he excitedly said, "Quickly learn, improve yourself, and look forward to one day let everyone hear the march of the volunteer army!" Thank you for your support along the way! This is just the beginning because I AM MADE IN CHINA. ”
And FOX (F1 management company) CEO Chase Carey also had high hopes for the young man in an interview with the surging news reporter, "He is great, he has entered F2 and proved his strength." For us, of course, we hope that there will be more drivers from different countries in F1, F1 is a race that belongs to the best 20 drivers in the world, and it is best to give different countries (drivers) opportunities, including Zhou Guanyu. ”
How far is it from F1?
In an interview last year, Zhou Guanyu was full of confidence in his future, "I am definitely closer to F1 now, in addition to participating in F2 races this year, Renault has given me more opportunities to drive F1 cars, and testing projects for the team will also help me grow." Thanks to the close cooperation with F1 teams, a lot of information can be shared before the race. ”
And his goal is undoubtedly to rush to the F1 track, "to achieve good results in F2, to try to get a super driver's license as soon as possible." Once you've got your super driver's license, if there's a seat in the F1 driver team, you'll take your chance. ”
For Zhou Guanyu, who went to the UK at the age of 12 to chase his racing dream, the road of the driver's career is not easy, especially if it takes a lot to work overseas, but he thinks everything is worth it.
"My dream is to play in F1. If I think about my racing career along the way, if I can compete in F1, it must be a glorious moment for me, and it can also promote the rapid development of Chinese motorsport. He once confessed in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
Zhou Guanyu is moving forward step by step on the road of chasing dreams.
Before going abroad, Zhou Guanyu once studied under the famous Chinese racing driver Ma Qinghua, who commented on him, "Zhou Guanyu's characteristics are stability, and he can play well under various conditions." ”
Today, Zhou Guanyu's level is undoubtedly improving step by step, but it is still not easy to compete in F1.
Only 20 official drivers can compete in F1 every season, while obtaining a super licence requires a cumulative total of 40 points in the FIA's subordinate races within three years, and many drivers will not be able to get an F1 seat even if they have 40 points.
But for the 21-year-old Zhou Guanyu, as long as he can continue to surpass himself in the challenge, everything is possible.
Editor-in-Charge: Pu Yaolei