Sauber | Chinese GP, Zhou: “I have dreamed of this moment for years”

Shanghai - Zhou Guangyu he is the first Chinese driver in history to take part in a season of Formula One and now also to a Chinese Grand Prix. The fans' love for the new national idol was evident at every turn, and the moment when Zhou was able to park his car was thrilling. Clean on the straight, together with the top three in the standings, to greet her fans: Zhou's tears of joy are memorable as she realizes her dream.

Zhou: “I have dreamed of this moment for years”

“This weekend was incredible: for years I dreamed of racing here as a Formula 1 driver and I succeeded. Seeing the passion and love from all the fans in the stands is something I have never felt in my life: the return lap, in particular, I will never forget, everyone was celebrating and shouting my name. I made sure to say hello to everyone, every stand and every corner. I tried to make sure it was a normal weekend, the emotions were at their peak and in the end I let myself be carried away, especially when I finally arrived in Parc Ferme: it was a special moment, it's an honor to be the first Chinese driver to racing in a Chinese Grand Prix” said Zhou.

The Chinese driver's race, however, was not easy: after a disappointing qualifying he started in sixteenth position and despite his efforts and the good pace of the car, Zhou was unable to go beyond fourteenth position.

“The race was tough, especially in the first lap where I didn't have much grip and I was sliding everywhere, but I managed to recover. It's not having reached the end that makes me happy, but having done it by fighting, giving everything, I spared nothing. Unfortunately, I started from the back and I knew that reaching the points would be really difficult, but I look at the positive things, like our pace, and obviously the team's progress in the pit stops. In the end, we chose to put on the soft tires: we knew we would be able to hold the position without stopping, but we took a risk, hoping we could improve. I made several overtakes, the car was competitive, it was nice. There was a lot of pressure, but I'm happy with my job. The whole weekend was positive, qualifying and the race were tough, but I gave everything."

Bottas: “Another big disappointment”

The race of Valtteri Bottas, however, ends on the twenty-first lap: the Finn, at that moment fighting for the points zone, is forced to park his car on the side of the track Clean, after a sudden engine failure Ferrari.

“Today is another big disappointment after a promising start: I started from tenth place, I could fight for points and the race was going well, when suddenly the engine stopped, we still have to understand why. I was unlucky, the race was still long and I was struggling with Nico Hulkenberg, which ultimately scored. It's hard to accept, but this is racing, there will be other opportunities: the team is improving, we make progress in all areas. We have been close to tenth place all weekend and have learned a lot about our car and the updates will help us maximize our potential. In the meantime, we focus on Miami, a track that has entertained me a lot in recent years."