Alfa Romeo Technical Director Reckons F1 Rookie Guanyu Zhou Could ‘Surprise’ Media Amidst Criticisms

The new season hasn’t even started yet, and Guanyu Zhou has already had a lot of criticism. At least that’s what Jan Monchaux, the technical director for the Alfa Romeo F1 team, believes. This is Guanyu Zhou’s first season in F1 with Alfa Romeo.

Zhou is a Chinese international, the first from his country to represent China as a full-time F1 driver. The 22-year-old has been chosen by Alfa Romeo to replace outgoing Antonio Giovinazzi.

Talking about Zhou’s first season expectations, Jan Monchaux, the technical director at Alfa Romeo, conveyed, “He will prove to a lot of uninformed people that they shouldn’t judge him too quickly. Look at his resume. He left his home and his country for a new world at an age when I don’t know many people willing to make this sacrifice for their career and their dream.”

“I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. I’m convinced.”, the technical director further asserted on Zhou.

Read More: Can Guanyu Zhou Cope With the Pressures of Being China’s First F1 Driver?

What’s in for Guanyu Zhou at Alfa Romeo this season?

F1 is a very tough and competitive sport. One’s expected to start performing here right from the word go. A seat in F1 is so rare that whenever you get a chance, you’re asked to deliver. The 22-year-old is to be under immediate pressure from the first race in Bahrain. Despite this, Zhou has managed to put some really good performance in the pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Guanyu goes into the 2022 season with Valtteri Bottas as his teammate. The Finnish has replaced retirement-bound Kimi Raikkonen. While Bottas is a veteran in the sport, his Chinese teammate is a newcomer to F1.

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The Hinwil-based team has finished with 13 points in their bag last season. Ranked in P9 in Constructor’s Championship, 2021 was a rather disappointing season for the Italian team. However, with an experienced driver like Valtteri, who has been with a championship winning team for 5 years, Alfa Romeo is now looking forward to coming back stronger this season.