16/11/2021
NEWS STORY
Alfa Romeo has announced that Guanyu Zhou will partner Valtteri Bottas next season as it heads into the sport's new era with an all-new line-up.
The Chinese youngster, a multiple race winner in the F2 championship, will make his F1 debut as he lines up on the grid for next season's opener in Bahrain.
The first ever F1 race driver from China, Zhou is a trailblazer who will write a pivotal page of his country's motorsport history, said the team. His path to Formula One is one of dedication and commitment, without a direct role model to set the path but with steadfast confidence in his own abilities and the unwavering support of his family.
Having experienced success at all levels of racing in his career, Zhou, 22, has been on the radar of most F1 teams for some time. He finished second in Italian F4 in 2015, before racking up race victories in Euro F3 and F2, Formula One's feeder series.
2021, in particular, has been a breakthrough year for the driver, who is currently in second place in the standings in F2 and is ready to mount a challenge for the title in the final two events of the season in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
Zhou will join a team with heritage and tradition, completing a highly-competitive line-up alongside Valtteri Bottas: this combination of youth and experience will be ready to push Alfa Romeo forward at a time in which the sport embraces a completely new set of regulations and all teams start their quest for glory from scratch
"It is a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN," said Frederic Vasseur. "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."
"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," added Zhou. "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."