Formula 2 championship contender Guanyu Zhou has officially been announced as Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN’s second new driver for the 2022 season, alongside the experienced Valtteri Bottas. Zhou will become the first ever Chinese driver to have raced in Formula 1.
After weeks of rumours, Zhou has been as expected confirmed as Alfa Romeo’s second new driver for 2022, an incredibly proud moment for Chinese motorsport as Zhou looks set to create history for the country. The Chinese driver will replace Antonio Giovinazzi, who is leaving Formula 1.
Zhou, who has tested in Formula 1 with the Alpine F1 Team, has been linked to Formula 1 for the past couple of years. The twenty-two year old has experienced successive throughout his career so far, and is currently battling Oscar Piastri for the Formula 2 title.
Zhou is very proud to be moving up to Formula 1 next season and is incredibly thankful to Alfa Romeo for their support.
“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. It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past. Now the dream is reality. I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas.
“I wish to thank the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN team for this opportunity. Next year the target will be to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible. To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula 1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. 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.”
Alfa Romeo Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur is very pleased with the team’s line-up for next season and is looking forward to welcoming the Chinese fans.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. He is a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we are looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in Formula One. We are proud of our line-up for 2022 and we are confident Zhou will form a very successful partnership with Valtteri.
“We are also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of Formula One and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.”
