Who is Guanyu Cho, the upcoming Formula 1 driver of Alfa Romeo?

John Bolsher

Friday, December 24, 2021 4:55 PM – Last Updated: 5:07 PM

The Formula 1 phase for the upcoming season has been shaken up a bit in the last twelve months, but only one new face will be added: Guanyu Chowin. In this new special, we will see the background of this upcoming Premier Class Pilot.

Zhao will drive for the Alfa Romeo team next season, where he will sit with Valteri Potas. Finn, in turn, comes from Mercedes, where he has been at the forefront of the field for the past five years. So, the young Chinese will immediately get a lot of work with his colleague, but also the opportunity to learn a lot from him. The Swiss Racing Stable has a completely new lineup because, in addition to the retirement of Kimi Rக்கோikkனnen, Antonio Giovinci has not been extended.

The first meter in motorsport

The 22-year-old driver was born on May 30, 1999 in Shanghai, China. Like most Formula 1 drivers, Joe began his motorsport career in 2007 in karting. He was active in the sport until 2014, when he moved from Shanghai to London in 2012 to compete in the European Championships. In 2013, he won both the British and European Rotax Max Junior Championships. The following year he was admitted to the Ferrari Driver Academy.

New Zealand

In 2015, Jav switched to the Italian Formula 4 Championship, driving for Prema. After finishing nine podiums in total, he finished second in his first season. At the same time, he ran several races at the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. The following year he went on to the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, where he finished sixth in the championship. He also made his debut at the European Formula 3 Championships, but here he did not finish thirteenth.

First Formula 3 wins

Joe continued to drive in Formula 3 in 2017, but switched to the Prema team. He was on stage more than once that season, but had no wins. These were again hired in 2018 by Prema. Overall he wrote two wins for his name, but with mixed results he did not get above eighth that season.

Introduction to Formula 2

Zhou is not new to the traditional motorsport ladder. The following year he moved to Formula 2, where he ran for the UNI-Virtuosi Racing Team, which also made its debut. Several stage matches put him seventh in the championship and also won the Antoine Hubert Award for Best Newcomer of the Year. In 2020 he recorded his first success at the Sochi Autotrome. With five podium places remaining, it placed him sixth in the finals. This year he finished third behind Robert Swartzman and Oscar Piastri.

Promotion to Formula 1

The only Formula 2 driver who switched to Formula 1 this winter was Joe. He was the first Chinese Formula 1 driver in sports history. From a marketing standpoint, this would definitely be attractive to the Alfa Romeo. His promotion sparked some criticism, with rumors that he would pay 30 million for his seat, for example, leaving room for Formula 2 champion Piastri. Frederick Vassour, chairman of the Alfa Romeo team, admits that Zhou was an attractive sponsorship choice, but dismisses rumors of $ 30 million as nonsense. In addition, according to the Frenchman, his skill is very important.