Kick Sauber RACER Zhou Guanyu admitted that he was emotional following successfully completing his first race at the Chinese GP, which was held in his hometown, the Shanghai International Circuit, Sunday (21/4).
Not only is this the first time Zhou has raced on his home turf, it also confirms he is still the first and only Chinese driver in the Formula 1 racing class.
“The audience support was extraordinary, something I have never felt in my life,” said Zhou, quoted from AFP, Tuesday (23/4).
Furthermore, the young racer said that he felt emotional when he realized that the stands were filled with many home fans.
Even though the Chinese GP has been on the Formula 1 calendar since 2004, Zhou’s presence apparently helped increase the enthusiasm of racing fans in the ‘Bamboo Curtain Country’ to its peak.
Tickets for the main race, on Sunday (21/4), sold out within minutes of going on sale, and the grand stands were packed all weekend. Not only that, Zhou’s image was also plastered all over corners in his hometown, Shanghai, for weeks leading up to the race.
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Tens of thousands of people cheered to catch a glimpse of their hometown hero and screamed with a deafening roar when he made it into the top 10 in the Sprint Race qualifying shootout.
“The crowd support was amazing, this is something I have never felt in my life,” said Zhou, who finished 14th in the main race.
“I gave my heart today, unfortunately not enough to get the points, but we will do it once more next time,” he added.
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He continued, the experience of racing for the first time in front of his home fans was an encouragement for him to perform better in future races, as well as being an encouragement for young Chinese racers to follow in his footsteps.
“I am very happy to see all the spectators. There are no words (that can describe it). This is a mix of emotions and an unforgettable day. Hopefully in the future more racers from my country will come here,” said Zhou .
The next round for Formula 1 this season is the Miami GP on May 3-5 at the Miami International Autodrome, Florida, United States (US). (Ant/Z-1)
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