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Andrew McNicol

Chinese Formula One star Zhou Guanyu said he was caught “a little bit by surprise” by the Australian Grand Prix tracks this weekend but hopes to maintain what has been a dream debut season thus far.
Racing at Melbourne’s Albert Park for the first time – F1 returns to Australia after three years – the 22-year-old Alfa Romeo driver failed to make it out of Q2, settling for P14 after final practice on Saturday.
Ferrari’s in-form Charles Leclerc leads the way, with reigning champion Max Verstappen lining up second and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez third on the grid for Sunday.
“I’m quite happy to be honest, because in qualifying we did struggle a bit with balance on my side,” Shanghai native Zhou said.

“When it mattered in Q1 I was able to put that lap in, but Q2 was very messy because firstly the traffic – everybody was pushing for that track position – and all of us stopped at the last corner which did not help.
“Nevertheless, there is plenty to work on. It’s been quite a challenging week from my side because this track is not an easy one to learn.”

Forecasting a “key” turn one and lap position on race day, Zhou said he will just “have to deal with” his unfamiliarity with the track.
He also outlined a particularly tricky last corner turn five, which he raised in the lengthy driver’s briefing – “why did they put the wall more close to the track? It does not help for safety and makes it easy to make mistakes”.
“We’re still learning the tracks but overall I feel more comfortable and confident every time I step into the car,” Zhou said.

🏁 ELIMINATED: Q2 🏁

Gasly
Bottas
Tsunoda 📸
Zhou
Schumacher#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/9iygngr0Ln
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 9, 2022

“It caught me a little bit by surprise but I was kind of expecting it because my team was talking to me about it when doing the track walk.
“When you’re driving the [simulator], you actually feel the track is like a racetrack, but … the moment I got here and looked at the layout – especially driving [in qualifying] – it feels almost like a straight circuit.
“Many corners on exit you’re next to the wall … and it makes it challenging on the entries [where] you only have grass, so if you put one wheel wrong it could be a big jump.”




















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A post shared by 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 (@zhouguanyu24)



Zhou has impressed in his two season-opening races so far, making history with a “shocking” point in Bahrain before narrowly missing out on a top-10 spot in a “messy” Saudi Arabia.
Teammate Valtteri Bottas, who dropped to seventh in despite an impressive start on the medium tyres, will also be looking to remind drivers that Team Alfa Romeo are legitimate threats.
“The important thing is always getting into the rhythm because you really need a good flow for this track,” Zhou said, outlining the various high, medium and low-speed corners at “all these sections”.

“Finally getting the feeling of these soft compounds with similar track conditions is always nice. [It’s about] trying to adapt to all situations, and knowing what’s the preference with my driving style with the car. We will try to get it right.”
Though Zhou did not realise his “reasonably stable or achievable” target of Q2, which he had done twice in a row previously, the key is to return to that “consistency” he has been finding and keeping it to “no errors on my side” since becoming the mainland’s first ever F1 driver.
“As a Chinese driver, we don’t have a huge motorsports background, so to [represent my country] is always nice and to boost the country to have more opportunities and drivers and motorsports is good,” Zhou said in a pre-event F1 preview.

“I’ve been dealing with pressure since I arrived in Formula 2. You’re not just there to use the full-turn brake pedals. You’re here to chase milliseconds. You have to have a strong mind and mental health is the priority [above] anything else.”


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Formula One (F1)

Australian Grand Prix: Chinese F1 driver Zhou Guanyu says ‘plenty to work on’ after ‘challenging week’ ahead of track debut

Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu of China in a press conference at Formula One Australian Grand Prix practice event at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. Photo: AFP   

Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu of China in a practice event at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia. Photo: Reuters 

Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu (right) of China with some fans before a practice at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia. Photo: AFP 

Alfa Romeo racer Valtteri Bottas of Finland in a press conference event at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia. Photo: EPA 

Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu of China in a practice event at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia. Photo: AFP 

Formula 1: China’s Zhou Guanyu won’t be ‘doing anything stupid’ in race for points at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu gets ready for qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Photo: Handout

Zhou Guanyu will start from 13th on the grid at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday. Photo: Handout

Formula 1: Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu left to wonder what might have been, after ‘messy’ Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Alfa Romeo Racing’s Zhou Guanyu has a debrief after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Photo: Twitter/@ZhouGuanyu24

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu picked up a five-second penalty for running off the circuit. Photo: AFP

Max Verstappen (right) and Charles Leclerc spray each other on the podium after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah. Photo: EPA-EFE

Bahrain Grand Prix: China’s Zhou Guanyu ‘shocked’ by dream start to F1 career, asks ‘what just happened’ after finishing 10th

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu (right) chats with his team after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Photo: Xinhua

Alfa Romeo’s Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu (left) in the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix event at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Photo: Xinhua 

China’s Zhou Guanyu (back row, third from left) with fellow F1 drivers before Formula 1 Grand Prix of Bahrain event at the Bahrain International Circuit. Photo: DPA 

Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou (right) and teammate Valtteri Bottas at a practice event before the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Photo: Reuters 

F1: Charles Leclerc wins Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton third, as China’s Zhou Guanyu finishes 10th on debut

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc wins the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. Photo: AP

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu (front), and Haas’ German driver Mick Schumacher battle for position during the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Charles Leclerc heads into a corner ahead Max Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Photo: EPA-EFE

Formula One: Zhou Guanyu dreaming of debut points finish at Bahrain Grand Prix after first Q2

Alfa Romeo’s Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu drives during the third practice session ahead of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in the city of Sakhir on March 19, 2022. Photo: Mazen Mahdi/AFP

Zhou Guanyuin action during the third practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Photo: EPA-EFE

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The 22-year-old Alfa Romeo driver fails to make it out of a ‘messy’ Q2, citing unfamiliarity with Albert Park tracks
‘We’re still learning the tracks but overall I feel more comfortable and confident every time I step into the car,’ says Zhou



The 22-year-old Alfa Romeo driver fails to make it out of a ‘messy’ Q2, citing unfamiliarity with Albert Park tracks – ‘we’re still learning’.
