“EXTREMELY PROUD”
It was almost exactly two years ago, at the height of the city’s lockdown, that the Shanghai circuit became the site of a makeshift 13,000-bed COVID-19Â hospital.
That was just a few weeks after Zhou had his first grand prix drive in Bahrain, finishing 10th to score a point, but the pandemic delayed 24-year-old Zhou’s home F1 debut until this week.
Even though he is unlikely to challenge for the podium, Zhou is desperate to put on a Shanghai show.
“I can’t wait to give it my all, share the passion with our entire team trackside and at home, and start a new chapter of Chinese motorsport together with the crowd,” Zhou said Monday.
“It’s an opportunity to inspire and pave the path for future generations being interested in the sport.
“My country loves racing and has been waiting for this moment for years.”
His excitement is echoed by fans in the city.
“As China’s first F1 driver, we are extremely proud of him,” Hu Yanqin, 29, said at a recent fan event screening the Japanese Grand Prix – complete with large banners bearing Zhou’s photo.
Underlining the hype surrounding Zhou, who is in his third F1 season, fans greeted him at the airport when he arrived last week and a documentary about the racer, “The First One”, will hit Chinese cinemas this weekend to coincide with the race.
Source: CNA
