SHANGHAI (AP) — Formula 1 returns to China this weekend after a five-year absence. And no matter who wins on Sunday, the star locally will be China-born driver Zhou Guanyu.
Despite his so-so results, Zhou is being promoted as a celebrity in China. He’s the subject of a new film as the first Chinese driver to compete in F1. And he’s, of course, a favorite of sponsors who want a Chinese connection.
Ahead of the first grand prix weekend in Shanghai since 2019, Zhou described it as more than a race for him, saying, “With a Chinese driver on the grid, we will write history.”
By the time he got to the driver’s news conference on Thursday, where the questions to him ranged from China’s economy and politics to its burgeoning auto industry’s future potential in F1, Zhou had spent more than a week doing promotional work and meetings with sponsors, backers and fans.
“I’ve been extremely busy, you know — the busiest man, probably, in Shanghai over the last week and a half,” he said. “A lot of activities done. It’s great to see the support from the country already.”
Zhou has never won a F1 race. In 48 races since 2022, he’s yet to even reach the podium. In the last grand prix almost two weeks ago in Japan, his Sauber retired with a gearbox failure and he placed 18th out of 20.