Guanyu Zhou has outlined his goals for his rookie Formula 1 season this year with Alfa Romeo.
Zhou is the first full-time Chinese driver in F1’s history, and arrives on the grid following three seasons in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
The 22-year-old is the only rookie on the field for the upcoming campaign, which he admits brings an element of pressure.
“To be the only rookie on the 2022 Formula 1 grid, I think of course there’s a little bit of pressure but it doesn’t really get to me,” Zhou said.
“I felt more pressure last season [in Formula 2], there’s too many people watching me, eyes on me [at the] end of my Formula 2 campaign.
“That was a lot of pressure but I think I dealt with that pretty well. All these years of racing I was able to adapt with myself, mentality-wise, adapting with different situations.
“But in general, Formula 1 is a new experience, a new water which I have to get used to, especially at the beginning. I’m ready to follow all these rookies from last year, trying to beat them, trying to develop my energy on track.”
Zhou was present at the pre-season shakedown with Alfa Romeo last week, setting 112 laps at the test.
With the opening race of the 2022 season less than a month away, Zhou says that his goal for the new year is to showcase his racing abilities to the world.
“From the personal side, firstly I want to show my ability, I think that’s what’s very important,” he said.
“I’m ready to be putting my feet in F1, trying to explore everything I have, and then as a family at Alfa Romeo… to be a family of friends with your mechanics, engineers, the staff and also team-mate, is a very important part of motorsport.
“That will help us move together. Spending so much time around the world in a season, in the factory, it’s very important that side.
“I don’t want to be in F1 for the sake of being here. I want to be here, to be proving myself, to be making my country and all the people supporting me proud.
“I want to do well in F1. This season, try to get some point finishes, together working with my team-mate Valtteri I want to be helping or moving the team forward.”
