Guanyu Zhou says Oscar Piastri’s uncertainty at Alpine F1 Team shows that the situation showed he was right to leave the team and join Alfa Romeo.
Until last year, Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou was part of the Alpine Academy alongside Oscar Piastri, with the two competing for the drivers’ championship in Formula 2 last year. Guanyu Zhou finished third and Piastri won the title.
However, it was Zhou Guanyu who joined Alfa Romeo this season and stepped up to F1. Oscar Piastri has not raced as a reserve driver for the Alpine F1 team.
Following Fernando Alonso’s transfer to Aston Martin F1, the Alpine F1 team announced that Oscar Piastri will be promoted to the race seat in 2023. However, Piastri has refused to do so, and the situation for 2023 is not yet clear.
Guanyu Zhou believes Oscar Piastri’s situation proves that he made the right decision to leave the Alpine F1 team.
“I was completely released,” Zhou Guanyu told RACER.
“Everything went well. My contract ended at the end of last year and it was up to both of us to continue, but the opportunity came with Alfa Romeo.”
“There was no place to secure a seat next year or this year, so we made the decision not to continue with Alpine. Alfa Romeo and Alpine are very big competitors, not only in F1 but in general. It wasn’t easy to get out of the Alpine, but I’m very happy that everything worked out.”
“If I had stayed another year, I would have been stuck a little bit, just like at the Oscars. It was the best thing for me. I felt there was an opportunity here, so I took it and it was a very good decision. I think
Guanyu Zhou scored his first points in his debut race and has scored points in two races so far in his rookie season. But when he was first announced as an F1 driver, he revealed he was subjected to racist abuse on social media.
“I didn’t expect to score points, but I knew Racecraft was stronger than qualifying,” said Guanyu Zhou.
“But that race[in Bahrain]was very stressful. I was comfortable in eighth or ninth, but the safety car came later so I had to box and I dropped to 12th and I was out of the field. I had to get out of
“It was tough, but when I crossed the line in 10th it meant a lot. I’ve never been so emotional in my career.”
“The last round of F2 has been going on for a long time, but that’s the pressure I’ve been dealing with and facing since last winter. It’s unbelievable. I’m facing the pressure of comments like that, I was still racing in Formula 2 to fight for the title so I don’t think anyone might imagine that I was a bit disappointed with that, but it didn’t stop me from showing myself in Formula 1 and that’s it. is the most important thing
Category: F1 / Zhou Guanyu / Alfa Romeo F1 / Alpine
