Guanyu Zhou opens up after receiving hateful messages at the beginning of the season
After a first part of the season getting accustomed to the world of Formula 1, the Chinese driver reflected on his early season and the hateful messages he had received after joining Alfa Romeo.
Zhou became the first Chinese driver in Formula 1 history to secure a full-time seat after finishing his Formula 2 season last year. However, at the beginning, he faced criticism about his ability to perform in Formula 1. He was quickly labeled as a driver who obtained his seat through money rather than talent.
The best response to silence these critics: the track. And Zhou has responded remarkably well for his first race by scoring a point at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I was able to prove my worth, to change what most people thought, and I am really happy about that,” Zhou said in an interview with Autosport before the summer break.
Messages on social media.
The driver addressed the abusive messages he received even before he had the chance to get into an F1 car: « It hurt me. I finished in the top 3 in F2 and secured the Super License points. When you are living your dream and people who don’t support you in your journey speak like that, it’s quite hurtful. »
Most of these comments are posted on social media. These platforms have an increasing impact, both positive and negative. The most important thing is that drivers can distinguish between them.
Nowadays, people are increasingly using the Internet and social media. When it happened to me, I was quite surprised by the number of people who sent me racist messages or things like that.
You still have supporters, but most of them don’t follow F2 or even the junior categories. They only follow F1, they see who you are, that you come from China, and they will come up with a reason why you have that seat.
His joy of entering F1 and finally reaching his dream has been tainted by the comments of some individuals.
It’s hurtful when you have a dream and you finally manage to achieve it. You expect to receive messages of congratulations, not messages that try to bring you down.
But it takes much more to discourage the rookie driver from Alfa Romeo. « They can’t bring me down so easily, at least not with social media messages. The best thing to do is to give it all on the track. I think I’ve accomplished that and I’m now very happy. »
As the season went on, Formula 1 fans got to discover Guanyu Zhou and most of them changed their mind about the driver. After a promising first part of the season, he will try to finish the season on a high note and bring valuable points to his team. Just a reminder, he doesn’t have a contract yet for next season in Formula 1, but Alfa Romeo seems satisfied with their driver’s first season.
