F1 | Alfa's team boss Fred Vasseur calls Zhou 'a huge opportunity for F1'
Alfa Romeo’s team principal Fred Vasseur believes that the decision to hire last season’s third place F2 Drivers’ Championship finisher, Guanyu Zhou, will bring a "big bang" to the system of Formula One.
Alfa Romeo will be without fan favourites Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi (for very different reasons) in 2022. However, Alfa Romeo’s team principal Fred Vasseur believes that the decision to hire last season’s third place F2 Drivers’ Championship finisher, Guanyu Zhou, will bring a "big bang" to the system of Formula One.
Guanyu Zhou is already on his way to make history as the first Chinese driver to race in the pinnacle of motorsport when he lines up on the grid alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas in 2022. Such wholescale changes to Alfa Romeo have not gone unnoticed and could also result in F1 breaking through to the Chinese market for the first time.
The last time F1 ran in Shanghai was in 2019 and it was a sold-out event. However, this was largely in part due to the fact that the Shanghai International Circuit had the prestige on that day of running F1’s 1000th Grand Prix. Interest was piqued and the razzmatazz was well received but in no way did it show the pinnacle of motorsport had made it in China. With the arrival of Guanyu Zhou this could all be about to change.
The rumour mill at present suggests that Weichai sponsorship will move away from Ferrari and head to Alfa Romeo. Such a move by the Chinese company would not be a shock with other sponsors expected to come out of the shadows. Alfa’s team boss Fred Vasseur believes there is now a big opportunity for F1 to take advantage of Zhou’s arrival.
Asked by GPFans.com if the initial interest from sponsors had been from Chinese or European companies, Vasseur said:
"You know the first feeling is that okay, I will go on the Chinese market, but I think it's quite ambitious, quite difficult. We had some contact the day after the announcement, mainly from European companies who want to go on the Chinese market. I'm not doing the job for F1 or for the other teams.”
Fred Vasseur also went on to explain how the signing of his driver could impact teams in a positive way up and down the pitlane.
“I also think it will mean a huge opportunity for F1, for every single team, but the exposure will explode. It will be a big bang to the system. We have to take it as an opportunity for everybody. We are pushing like hell to improve in this area. But we have to avoid the misunderstanding the final target is always the performance."
The momentum has been building since the team announced Guanyu Zhou in November last year. At the time, Reuters quoted Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali as he described Zhou’s signing as "fantastic for the sport and millions of passionate Chinese fans that now have a home hero to cheer all year long…Zhou is an incredible talent, who will be a fantastic addition to the amazing grid we have and he will entertain and keep all our Chinese fans excited in 2022."
As for Guanyu Zhou, his mindset has always been clear to see having remarked:
"I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I'm passionate about and now the dream has come true. To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula One is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history."
Due to no home F1 race in Shanghai in 2022 this may be a blessing for Guanyu Zhou too as he can learn his craft somewhat free of a glaring spotlight. Be rest assured though, there will be many people watching the exploits of Zhou in 2022. Including no doubt, the next generation of Chinese kart racers hoping to one day replicate the feat of Alfa Romeo’s newest signing.
Guanyu Zhou will race under the number 24 as it is inspired by his hero Kobe Bryant. The much-missed LA Lakers NBA legend left an indelible mark on basketball and if Zhou can have even half as much effect on F1 then that would certainly be a job well done.
