As he gears up for a nostalgic race in Shanghai, Guanyu Zhou feels a mix of excitement and anticipation, looking forward to making a mark in his home country.
The moment has finally arrived for Guanyu Zhou: after two seasons of frustration, the Stake F1 driver will finally be able to race at home, this weekend in China.
He shared his great excitement today, on the eve of finally taking to the track on his national circuit in Shanghai.
“Since my debut in 2022, I’ve been very excited about the idea of racing at home.”
“I know I will get goosebumps when I’m on the starting grid on Sunday, especially when the national anthem plays at the Shanghai International Circuit.”
“I attended the very first Chinese Grand Prix in 2004. It was the first time I saw Formula 1 cars in real life, and I was five years old.”
“I dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver. But that dream seemed so far away. I didn’t know if I would make it.”
“I grew up idolizing Fernando Alonso, and now I race alongside him.”
Guanyu Zhou may not be the most well-known driver globally, but is he at least very popular in China? Or is F1 still niche there?
“The interest in Formula 1 is growing in China – and it’s not just about the existing fan base, but also the younger generation.”
“They start with karting and aim towards a career as a Formula 1 driver. I receive many letters telling me that having me as an inspiration has helped them.”
“It’s great to be a source of inspiration. I hope to spend many more years in Formula 1, continue to make history in terms of results, and help to increase interest in my country for F1.”
“The Chinese Grand Prix will be sold out. Tickets sold out very quickly.”
“I have my own grandstand with TeamZHOU. There were 7,000 seats and they sold out in five minutes. I can’t believe how quickly it sold out. It’s great to see the passion they already have for F1.”
As for the Grand Prix, it remains a great unknown: F1 has not come to Shanghai since 2019 and the track has been resurfaced since then. What does Guanyu Zhou (who has never raced in Shanghai) expect?
“We haven’t been here for five years, it’s almost like a new track, so it will be a challenge for all the teams. It’s also the first Sprint of the year, which will be exciting for the fans, but for us, there will be a lot of data to analyze quickly.”
“It’s a great circuit with many medium and high-speed corners, and there are good overtaking opportunities.”
“I don’t think the race will be boring. I just hope to get a good result and give the fans a great race experience.”
“It will already be a memorable weekend for me, but scoring a point there would be something special. I’m just trying to put myself in the best position. As a team, we’re going to give it our all.”
Zhou still hopes to be with Audi in 2026
Guanyu Zhou needs to deliver strong performances starting this weekend in Shanghai: he comes off a series of last places in Q1 and his future in F1 with the Sauber team (then Audi) is more uncertain than ever.
“It’s hard to predict what the future holds. The ‘silly season’ started very early this year and it’s keeping my manager busy!”
“For my part, I just focus on doing my job on the track and staying focused on my current situation. I hope we can have clean weekends as a team, solve the problems we’ve encountered, and then I think we can be there and achieve good results.”
Like Valtteri Bottas, does Guanyu Zhou still intend to be with Audi in 2026?
“I would like to stay here when the team becomes the Audi factory team. I see the project growing. The team is expanding, processes are improving, and there are new development ideas.”
“But for now, I’m going to try to do my best on the track, fully focusing on this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix and beyond – and I hope we can spend many more years in this paddock.”
Zhou Anticipates Goosebumps at Shanghai F1 Race. Zhou Anticipates Goosebumps at Shanghai F1 Race
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