China’s first Formula One driver, Guanyu Zhou, got off to a dream start to his career at the Bahrain Grand Prix which opened the season on Sunday, as rookie Alfa Romeo finished with a point in the match. launch.
The 22-year-old from Shanghai impressed as he finished 15th in the net after reaching the second stage of qualifying on Saturday.
He continued that with his move into the final paying spot at 10th place.
“It’s amazing, I’m speechless, you know?” he told F1 TV after the race. “It was [such an] emotional race, so intense.
“To score my first Formula 1 point on my debut is something I only dreamed of a year or two ago.”
Zhou, teammates with former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, lost time at one stage when he had to reset his car’s settings after it went into anti-stall mode.
But he fought back with a string of overtaking moves, including a pass into seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had just come out of the pit and was trying to hold onto his cooled tyres. me.
Bottas was sixth when handing Alfa Romeo a double.
“I don’t know how that confidence comes,” Zhou said when asked about his crosses. “But I think it’s the eagerness that I want to finish the point.”
Zhou has stepped up to the F1 rank after finishing third overall in the formula two racing series last year.
Some have questioned whether Zhou, who is financially backed, is on the grid, especially since Formula Two champion Oscar Piastri, who is a reserve for the French Alpine producer, has been cannot sit in the race seat.
Zhou said his performance on Sunday proved his doubts wrong.
“I always said I deserved to be here and today I think I gave it all,” he said. “It was a great relief. Great reward for us, and it was a day that I [will] never forget.”
