Zhou highlights problem: 'When I joined F1, there was racist abuse'
F1 News
If the omens are not deceiving, Guanyu Zhou's F1 career is already coming to an end after the current season. It seems likely that Sauber will part ways with the Chinese driver after this season and options at other teams do not seem to be there. One of the newcomers to Formula 1 - who will therefore take a possible spot for Zhou - is Oliver Bearman. His entrance into F1 has been widely applauded, where Zhou has experienced less enthusiasm in 2021.
Looking back at the announcement by Alfa Romeo (at the time Sauber's title sponsor), Zhou, speaking to The Race, states that he has not always felt welcome in Formula 1. "It’s quite clear, in 2021 when I signed a contract with Alfa Romeo there was a lot of racist abuse people were giving [me] because they didn’t follow my career," says Zhou, echoing Lewis Hamilton, who also regularly faced racism earlier in his career.
Zhou sees prejudice against Asians
Zhou is referring to how Oliver Bearman is welcomed; despite a spot outside the top 10 in Formula 2 currently. According to the Chinese driver, there is a lot of support for the Briton, who is hardly impressing this season. Zhou picked up four wins in his last year and finished third in the championship, but after his announcement by Alfa Romeo he felt less support.
According to Zhou, there is, therefore, only one conclusion possible: "It shows [prejudice around] nationality is a reality. That’s difficult to change when you’re Asian, coming from different countries in Asia, but I’m not worried about that," Zhou said.
This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton