Zhou Guanyu, a Chinese racing driver, competes in Formula One for Stake F1 Team, also known as Sauber and holds the distinction of being the first and only Chinese driver to participate in the sport.
His racing career has seen him compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Virtuosi Racing, where he finished 3rd in the 2021 campaign.
Zhou was also a test driver for both the Renault F1 Team and the Alpine F1 Team in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Previously, he was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2014 to 2018 and served as the development driver for the Formula E team DS Techeetah in 2018.
For the 2022 Formula One season, Zhou inked a deal with Alfa Romeo, becoming China’s first full-time Formula One driver partnering with Valtteri Bottas. In a statement released after the announcement, Zhou emphasised his readiness to tackle the immense challenge of Formula 1 and underlined that his entry into the series would represent a historic milestone for Chinese motorsport.
Zhou selected 24 as his permanent racing number to pay tribute to his sports idol Kobe Bryant, who donned the same number during his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite starting fifteenth on the grid in his debut at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, Zhou mounted a spirited comeback after a poor start and eventually finished in tenth position, earning himself a valuable point.
