After 74 years of heritage and preparation, a highly anticipated event at the Shanghai International Circuit marks a critical chapter. On April 21st, 2024, Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu ascends to his home stage, making the race a historic moment. As he steps out of the Sauber car, deafening cheers echo above the circuit, and every byte of his name carries the passion and expectations of the audience.
After 56 laps of fierce competition, the brave 25-year-old removes his helmet and emotionally pays the deepest respects to his supporters on site. At that moment, tears moisten his cheeks as he kneels, covers his face with his hands, and releases the tension and emotion of the race. Although he climbed from 16th in qualifying to 14th in the main race without scoring points, undeterred by car damages, he’s given his all on this familiar land.
Zhou Guanyu may not have won points, but standing on the podium, receiving cheers from the home crowd, he’s undoubtedly the victor of the field. Once a fervent little fan of Alonso, he now competes alongside his idol. For the past twenty years, this courageous driver’s dream has soared on the racing track.
In the 20 years Zhou Guanyu pursued his dream, he’s always been unwavering: “Follow the direction in your heart, keep your pace, and now I could finally stand on my home field.” Looking back to 2004, seat number 24 at the K stand of F1 Shanghai, that was the starting point of Zhou Guanyu’s professional journey. Then just five years old, the moment when racing cars sped by was etched into his heart, his blood boiling with excitement.
The luminous champions of that era, Barrichello, Button, Raikkonen, along with burgeoning stars like Vettel, laid the groundwork for F1’s golden age. However, for Zhou Guanyu, his idol has always been the dashing Alonso, even though F1’s influence in China was still in its infancy.
Yet, Zhou Guanyu refused to concede. On a karting track scheduled for demolition, he felt the thrill of speed and quickly showed extraordinary talent. Competing above his group and winning multiple championships proved the great potential of Chinese drivers in this relentless struggle.
Sheffield, England, marked a turning point for Zhou Guanyu, where he studied and trained, eventually winning the European Karting Championship and becoming the first Chinese to do so. Later, his career took a new step when Ferrari Driver Academy took notice of him, ascending to the podium among prominent second-generation racers after passing through numerous selections.
Zhou Guanyu summarized his progression in a racer’s term: “It’s like an inner line breakthrough at a bend in a melee and then a straight-line acceleration forward.” Looking back at the past hardships and dedication, his glory now blooms on the track.
Becoming an F1 driver is no easy feat. They travel through 21 countries across five continents within a year, ignoring jet lag; maintain a heartbeat of 175 times per minute at a high speed of 400 kilometers per minute while resisting centrifugal forces of up to 50 kilograms during corners, losing at least 1 kilogram of water after the race. More importantly, this annual event provides only 20 precious spots, rarer than astronauts.
Zhou Guanyu, as the first Chinese F1 driver, forges ahead in this Europe-dominated field, without guidance, without the support of major manufacturers and engine makers, relying solely on his and the team’s own efforts. In his own words, it’s often about “enduring.” Throughout his F2 career, Zhou worked hard, winning his first race at the 10th event, paving the way for his entry into F1. Over the following year, he consistently stayed within the top three in the standings and claimed highest honors at three events. With these achievements, his dream of becoming the first Chinese F1 driver became a reality.
Five years have passed, and the road away from home seems both distant and within reach. The last time F1’s roar was heard in China was in 2019, marking the thousandth race celebration. That year, Zhou also returned to his hometown as a driver, drawing graceful drifting circles in his new environment. However, at that race, he wasn’t the main attraction but a test driver for the Renault team.
Many things changed over those five years. During that time, Zhou’s fellow countryman Han Han directed two “Pegasus” films, setting box office records for Chinese sports inspirational movies. Yet by 2021, Chinese faces were still rare in F1. So, when Zhou joined F1 in 2022, he not only ignited the passion of Chinese fans but also caught the attention of F1 enthusiasts worldwide. That year, the F1 landscape was undergoing significant changes, with Hamilton and his Mercedes-Benz dynasty facing fierce challenges from Verstappen and the Red Bull team—everyone had the chance to rise to the top.
Zhou impressed in the F1 2022 season, finishing 10th in his first official F1 race—the Bahrain Grand Prix—earning his first points. Overwhelmed with emotion, he shed tears and wrote on social media, “I did it.” That season, he finished 8th in the Canadian Grand Prix, set his personal fastest lap at the Suzuka Circuit, ranked 1st in Q1 and eventually finished 5th in the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying—his best qualifying result in his F1 career. For his outstanding performance, Zhou was awarded the F1 and Autosport Rookie of the Year.
Despite the spotlight, after his rookie season, Zhou faced challenges in the 2024 season, having not scored any points yet and continuously facing incomprehensible decisions from the team. On March 10th at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he missed out on points due to an overly long pit stop by his team. On March 24th at the Australian Grand Prix, his car suddenly stalled while shifting gears during a pit stop; and on April 7th at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, he had to retire on lap 13 due to gearbox issues.
Experiencing many memorable moments, Zhou’s achievements were showcased at the global premiere of the documentary “Chinese Driver Zhou Guanyu.” At the event, some fans wore reflective safety vests that read “Pit Crew Supervisor,” their attire reflecting a mood both humorous and resigned. The fans were deeply concerned about Zhou’s performance at the Shanghai race. After all, since starting his racing career in Europe, Zhou had not had the chance to race on his home track in 5 years, with all his experience derived from memories before leaving home as a youth. However, he successfully overcame various difficulties in that race.
It’s noteworthy that the FIA (International Automobile Federation) gave Zhou Guanyu a prestigious honor, allowing him to park at the starting line alongside the top three racers, marking Zhou Guanyu’s high recognition as an F1 driver into his third year. Even on the least favored tracks, he has proven to the world that Chinese drivers can also stand under the spotlight in the most dazzling position.
In the top echelons of motorsport—F1, which is not only one of the highest-earning sports but also imposes extremely stringent demands on the drivers, Chinese drivers are unfortunately outnumbered and outmatched, with Zhou Guanyu standing alone as the representative. Fortunately, China is blessed with an outstanding driver like Zhou Guanyu. Zhou inevitably became the highlight of the Shanghai leg, with his image omnipresent and promotional materials blanketing the sky.
During the week of the race, the support for “China’s Zhou” was strong, and banners cheering “Go China’s Zhou” could be seen everywhere in the stands. Three-day passes priced at 2660 yuan sold out quickly. At the same time, Zhou Guanyu also successfully attracted sponsorships from multiple brands, including DIOR, lululemon, HSBC, Hennessy, Mobil, and PICC among others, and his commercial value is highly regarded among China’s new generation of male athletes.
In the past five years, F1’s global influence has surged dramatically, breaking the record with an average of 1.11 million spectators per event for the 2023 season. The F1 Shanghai Grand Prix, returning after a five-year hiatus, witnessed a cumulative audience of 165,000 over three days, with 145,000 attendees. Veteran insiders were also surprised by the tremendous transformation of China’s F1 market over these five years. They consider today’s Shanghai to be an ideal venue for hosting F1 events.
As the world’s largest auto market, China consistently leads globally in total vehicle production and sales, and F1, transitioning from a niche sport to one with broader appeal, aligns with global development trends. As early as 2019, the former CEO of F1 Management (FOM) was convinced that the United States and China would become F1’s two biggest markets and held high expectations for the rise of Zhou Guanyu, drawing comparisons with Yao Ming.
For Zhou Guanyu, who has already made history on the F1 stage, his professional goal is very clear: “My F1 journey has just begun, and I hope to stay here as long as possible, until the next generation of Chinese drivers emerges and takes over the baton.”
