Motor racing-Chinese fans hope Zhou can shrug off poor form on home debut

Liberty Media

17/04/2024 14:45

By Joe Cash
       SHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Zhou Guanyu's Chinese
fans hope the country's first and only Formula One driver can
shrug off a poor run of form and shine on his home debut to
answer the critics who view his passport as the predominant
reason he has a drive.
    Sauber's Zhou, who races in Shanghai this week in China's
first grand prix since 2019, has failed to score in the season's
first four races but local supporters remain positive. 
    Having a Chinese driver is a boon for F1 and its owner
Liberty Media who see the world's second-largest country as a
key market. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said in the past that
China could ultimately host two races.
    "That Zhou is a Chinese driver is definitely relevant to his
team choosing him," said Li Qixiang, a F1 fan from Shanghai and
chemistry teacher with tickets for Sunday's race. 
    "His personal performance is quite controversial among his
fans. His potential is recognised but it's hard to say how he
really ranks compared with the other drivers. If his car is
good, he may perform better."
    Zhou enjoyed a relatively successful junior career, winning
races in the feeder Formula Two series in 2021 and against a
competitive field which included current McLaren driver Oscar
Piastri, who finished on the podium twice as a rookie last year.
    The Chinese driver has qualified last over the past three
races.
    "Zhou Guanyu's ability to improve his qualifying has reached
an imminent juncture. I am really looking forward to seeing Zhou
get tough in front of his home fans in Shanghai," wrote one
Chinese commentator on social media platform Xiaohongshu.
    The 24-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season,
with Sauber due to become the factory Audi team in 2026 and
uncertainty about the future lineup.
    The German manufacturer has ambitious goals and has also
been linked to race winners like Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who is
looking for a seat for next season when seven-times world
champion Lewis Hamilton replaces him.
    Many of Zhou's supporters lay the blame for his lack of
success on Swiss-based Sauber, who have been midfield battlers 
for decades on a far smaller budget than manufacturer rivals. 
    "My expectations are a bit low for Shanghai, to be honest.
Zhou Guanyu will only get one practice session to get used to
the track... I feel he might not even make it into the second
part of qualifying," wrote another Chinese fan on Xiaohongshu.
    The Chinese Grand Prix is also the first sprint race of the
season, with just one practice session before sprint qualifying
on Friday and that 100km race on Saturday before regular
qualifying. 

 (Editing by Christian Radnedge)
 ((alan.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933;))