As a fan, watching the fast vehicles and conflicts between the drivers brings great excitement. But what about the backstage action? Sometimes, the drivers who put forth such an effort to entertain us spectators with their prowess are not given as much credit. Any athlete’s career will have highs and lows, but occasionally, fans and the media can go too far and derail an athlete’s motivation. Many F1 drivers feel that the media has been very critical of them during their lowest times and that this is because of their nationality.

Following a Formula 2 season in which he won four races and placed third overall, Zhou Guanyu graduated to Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo for 2022. However, the Chinese driver had to cope with a lot of backlash because some people thought his promotion was solely a result of his nationality. Although Zhou’s performance in the junior series demonstrated his talent, there didn’t seem to be much of a change in opinion prior to his debut.

Zhou Guanyu is the lone rookie of 2022, and in his first season, he has seen some overtly critical racism. However, he is not the only one to have encountered such racist remarks. Sergio Perez has also experienced prejudice in the past. The Mexican driver said after winning the Singapore Grand Prix, “Whenever you have a bad race or a little bit of a bad patch, as any other driver, sometimes with the Latin drivers you can hear a bit more criticism. When there’s only been a few races, you know?” 

Perez cleared the path for the rookie driver by making such provocative claims and citing these comments Guanyu said, “The people in the paddock were always okay, it’s more on the outside, the fans on the internet, the keyboard writers, they are being a bit harsh or unfair,” Zhou told The Race. “I read what Checo said. If you’re a Chinese driver it’s even worse, probably twice as worse than what’s affected, Mexican drivers! I’ve lived in this kind of situation many times in my career. I’m used to how to get rid of all this unnecessary attention, to just focus purely on the job.”

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The racers chosen to compete in the king’s class are extremely talented. But in order to prove their worth, the motorists have to show their real potential on the tracks of F1 which at once the Chinese driver did to shut the critic’s mouth.

Zhou Guanyu proves the critics wrong

Zhou began racing in his native China, but in 2012, he relocated to the UK to compete in a more intense setting. Before Alfa Romeo offered him his chance at Formula 1. He progressed through the junior levels, spending time in the Ferrari and Renault academies. Alfa Romeo recognized that one factor in its decision to recruit Zhou was the support he received from Chinese sponsors as the country’s first F1 driver, but it also cited his prior success, which saw him finish third in F2 last year.

Zhou, though, delivered a message to any detractors writing him off by qualifying for Alfa Romeo in Bahrain, then coming back from a shaky start to finish 10th and earn his first point. Talking to motorsports.com Guanyu said, “I think once I signed the contract last season, for some reason people had some different thoughts about me being in Formula 1. But in my mind, I think I have done everything I need to do to have a seat in F1. This season, I wanted to get into Q2 so I can close their mouths. Today I’m just so relieved, as I went from P15 to P10, but it was more like P20 to P10.”

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Although the season didn’t do justice to Guanyu’s talent as he finished at P18 in the driver’s championship. But by gaining knowledge from an experienced driver like Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu will surely learn the ways of the premier class of F1.