Zhou Guanyu Opens Up On 'Racist Abuse' Throughout F1 Career

Zhou Guanyu discusses facing racist abuse throughout his F1 career.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu of China speaks during media availabilities at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu has faced an uphill battle throughout his F1 career, not just on the track but off it as well, confronting significant racist abuse. As Formula 1's only Chinese driver and a former high-performing Ferrari academy member, Zhou's entrance into F1 in 2022 was met with unwarranted hostility that overshadowed his impressive achievements in Formula 2.

Guanyu spoke about his F1 debut during an interview with The Race, explaining:

“It’s quite clear, in 2021 when I signed a contract with Alfa Romeo there was a lot of racist abuse people were giving [me] because they didn’t follow my career.

“You come around with third place in F2, winning four races that year - and [now] you see a driver outside the top 10 [in F2] at the moment is getting a seat, and there’s a lot of support for him.”

Despite the challenges, Guanyu's focus remains steadfast on his Formula 1 career, especially as he faces an uncertain future in the sport. With only a few race seats available for the 2025 season and an expiring contract, he is pinning his hopes on a “season-saving performance." He added:

“For the future or for next year, it's definitely better. I’ve known him for quite a while now, being involved with Ferrari’s academy for several years.

“I want to stay in this championship. That's what I want to do. But in terms of what I do, if I become a third driver, I haven't thought about it. My mindset is on getting a seat because there’s still, I would say, a chance of 50 percent or more that I get a seat.”

The path hasn’t been smooth on the track either. Acknowledging performance differences compared to his teammate Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu is critically aware of the improvements he needs to make to secure his standing.

“I would say in racecraft we’re similar. On a lot of occasions I’ve actually been a little bit quicker than him [Bottas].

“Also, in the last few weekends, I was compromised because I started behind [Bottas]. That is a weakness: it’s probably one lap pace with this year’s configuration of car.

“It's tricky for me because it [the car] doesn't suit my driving style over one lap and it requires a very high level of smoothness on input.

“My driving style is a little bit more aggressive, which has worked well in the last few years with the car, especially last year - I was able to always get it together. This year I've been suffering a lot, but all I can say is I'm working to adjust that."