“EXTREMELY PROUD”
It was nearly precisely two years in the past, on the top of the town’s lockdown, that the Shanghai circuit turned the positioning of a makeshift 13,000-bed COVID-19 hospital.
That was just some weeks after Zhou had his first grand prix drive in Bahrain, ending tenth to attain a degree, however the pandemic delayed 24-year-old Zhou’s dwelling F1 debut till this week.
Even although he’s unlikely to problem for the rostrum, Zhou is determined to placed on a Shanghai present.
“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 mentioned Monday.
“It’s a chance to encourage and pave the trail for future generations being within the sport.
“My country loves racing and has been waiting for this moment for years.”
His pleasure is echoed by followers within the metropolis.
“As China’s first F1 driver, we are extremely proud of him,” Hu Yanqin, 29, mentioned at a current fan occasion screening the Japanese Grand Prix – full with giant banners bearing Zhou’s picture.
Underlining the hype surrounding Zhou, who’s in his third F1 season, followers greeted him on the airport when he arrived final week and a documentary in regards to the racer, “The First One”, will hit Chinese cinemas this weekend to coincide with the race.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/f1-china-hype-post-covid-absence-4268306
