FINAL F1 SEAT CONFIRMED

Alfa Romeo Racing has locked in Guanyu Zhou as the driver of the final remaining seat of the Formula 1 grid for 2022.

A multiple race winner in Formula 2, Zhou currently sits second in the championship standings behind Australian Oscar Pistri (who was recently signed as Alpine’s test and reserve driver) with two rounds remaining.

“I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true.” said Zhou.

“It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past.”

“Now the dream is reality. I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas.”

“I wish to thank the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN team for this opportunity. Next year the target will be to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible.”

“To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula 1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.”

Zhou will make headlines as the first-ever Formula One race driver from China when he lines up on the grid for the 2022 season opener in Bahrain.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.” said Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.

“He is a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we are looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in Formula One.”

“We are proud of our line-up for 2022 and we are confident Zhou will form a very successful partnership with Valtteri.”

“We are also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of Formula One and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.”

Zhou joins Valtteri Bottas in an all-new driver line-up for the Alfa Romeo squad.

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