Gen Z China Chronicles | Zhou Guanyu: From go-karts to China's first F1 driver
By Liu He, Zhu Yingqi, Han Xiaomeng and Chen Zixuan
People's Daily app
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Zhou Guanyu is China's first ever Formula 1 race driver.

Born in Shanghai in 1999, Zhou first hit the track in go-karts at the age of seven and won all national championships at the age of 10.

In order to pursue his motorsport ambitions, Zhou left his hometown at age 12 to study and train in the UK.

He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2014 and officially started his Formula career.

In September 2020, Zhou won the Sochi Sprint Race in Russia, becoming the first Chinese ever to win in F2.

Zhou joined Alfa Romeo in 2022 and become the first Chinese driver to race in Formula 1, which he calls a dream come true.

In March 2022, Zhou finished 10th in the Bahrain Grand Prix, winning a point in his first outing, and also made history as the first full-time Chinese driver to compete and first from the country to win a point.

Also attracting attention and love has been Zhou's helmet, which is full of Chinese elements: the Chinese national flag, blue and white porcelain patterns and a silhouette of the skyline of the Lujiazui area in his hometown Shanghai.

Professional race drivers face huge physical and mental challenges. Zhou endured an enormous crash at the British Grand Prix in July 2022, but fortunately, his car's halo protection device saved him.

Zhou's motorsport career has been full of ups and downs. He enjoys speed, teamwork, and trying things no one has done before.

"The road to F1 is very difficult, all of which takes a lot of time and effort. For Chinese drivers, the process will only be more difficult, because there was no guide to tell me how to choose the best path, so I had to explore all the possibilities with my team."

(Produced by Liu He, Zhu Yingqi, Han Xiaomeng and Chen Zixuan)