Zhou to partner Bottas at Alfa Romeo
Guanyu Zhou will partner Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo next season, replacing Antonio Giovinazzi at the team. Zhou will become the first Chinese driver to race in F1 when he makes his debut in Bahrain next March.
The team described the F2 frontrunner as a “trailblazer who will write a pivotal page in his country’s motorsport history”. Zhou is second in the driver’s championship with two rounds to go in Jeddah and Abu Dhabi next month.
Zhou, said: “I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true. I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas.”
The move means all F1 teams have confirmed driver line-ups for 2022. Zhou was part of Ferrari’s driver academy between 2014-18, before moving to the Alpine (then Renault) in 2019 where he has been the team’s test driver.
Alfa Romeo isn’t hiding that there is a financial benefit for the team, team principal Fred Vasseur telling BBC News, “The financial side can’t be hidden”. But he said that Zhou’s talent had also been a key consideration.
Vasseur pointed to his F2 victories in Bahrain and Silverstone this year as evidence that he “has the ability” to compete at the highest level.
Saying “I don’t know if in the end, he will be a champion or not in F2,” Vasseur said. “But this won’t change the potential that he is a frontrunner against some other very experienced guys. He also has the advantage that he was able to do some test days this season in F1 so he is not with zero mileage.”
He says for China it makes sense given Zhou’s performances, and they want him to be successful.
The deal will also bring extra income to the team meaning that next year they will be able to operate at the cost cap of £114m, with him saying this year they were running “massively” below that figure.
Adding “A team has to become sustainable at one stage. It is not just about the Chinese sponsors, it is about the exposure we will give to our current partners.”
Piastri announced as Alpine reserve
Oscar Piastri has been announced as Alpine’s reserve driver for 2022. The Australian who won last years F3 championship is the favourite to win the F2 championship, which he leads by thirty-six points with the Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remaining.
With two rounds remaining, Piastri is on track to join George Russell and Charles Leclerc in having back-to-back F3 and F2 titles as rookies. Both have gone on to be signed by Mercedes and Ferrari as race drivers.
While unable to secure an F1 seat for next year, Piastri’s move to be a reserve driver means he’ll be part of extensive testing and in line to race in F1 if the opportunity comes up. He told ESPN, “I’m super excited to be joining Alpine F1 Team as a reserve driver.”
He added “I’m looking forward to being much more involved with the team and contributing to its intended success next season. The reserve driver role is the next step towards my aim for a race seat in 2023, which is very exciting.”
The news is a bonus for Piastri, who would be unable to continue racing in F2 if he wins this year’s title. Adding “I’ve proved myself in the junior formulas over the last couple of years and feel like I’m ready for Formula 1 now,” he said.
Piastri will turn all his attention to securing the F2 title, with the next event at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from 03 to 05 December. The season finale at Abu Dhabi is the following weekend from December 10-12.
Hamilton describes Sao Paulo win as “beautiful”
Lewis Hamilton has described his victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as “beautiful”, and one of his greatest after battling through a weekend of adversity to out-duel Max Verstappen and recover crucial championship ground.
Despite being excluded from traditional qualifying, the Englishman made up ten places in the sprint, eventually starting the main race fifteenth following a place grid penalty for a new ICE. Then in Sunday’s main race, he came from tenth to win the race and potentially momentum with three races to go.
Hamilton is currently fourteen-point sbehind Verstappen with a maximum of seventy-eight still to play for, as he bids for a record breaking eighth championship. He told Sky Sports, “Success always feels sweeter when you battle through adversity.”
“This is one of the most beautiful feelings I’ve had. Knowing I’ve had all those setbacks, but we never let that stand in our way.”
Before what will be seen as not only the greatest drive of his career, Hamilton’s lowest win was in another dramatic race at Hockenheim in 2018. His Mercedes appeared to be the class of the field.
Responding these commons by Damon Hill, “That was one of the best drives I’ve ever seen in F1. By anyone. Utterly awesome” Hamilton said “It never gets old hearing positive comments from such a great driver in Damon.”
Adding “I remember being such a big fan of his when I was younger. I’ve always admired Damon and he’s always been super supportive and I do appreciate that. From my own personal experience, it’s been one of the most challenging if not the most challenging with the things that we’ve faced during the weekend.”
In a weekend where he knew he would take a five-place grid penalty for a new ICE, he was later excluded from traditional qualifying for a DRS breach leaving him last on the grid for sprint qualifying. He then finished the sprint fifth to start the main race tenth, where he went on to victory.
Hamilton added “I don’t remember another weekend like this. I definitely didn’t know I was going to win, of course, that was always my goal but it’s quite overwhelming to be honest. I feel great in my body, I feel great mentally. All of us are working hard to stay positive, but this has been such a hard weekend.”
He seemly suggested that they set the car up for overtaking because of the engine penalty, knowing he would start five places behind where his qualified on Saturday.
There was more controversy during the race as Verstappen avoided a penalty for a fierce defence from Hamilton as he came charging before his eventual overtake.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton said, “I knew when they said they were going to investigate that was the decision they were going to come to, whether it was right or wrong.”
McLaren denies reports of Audi takeover
The McLaren has denied categorically a report by Autocar that Audi will take over the British car manufacturer. On Monday, the magazine reported the German manufacturer had purchased the McLaren Group and would take full control over the company’s road car and racing operations, including the McLaren F1 team.
The McLaren Group put out a statement several hours later saying: “McLaren Group is aware of a news media report stating it has been sold to Audi. This is wholly inaccurate and McLaren is seeking to have the story removed.”
“McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group.”
In recent weeks, Audi’s parent company Volkswagen has expressed an interest in entering the sport when the new engine regulations are introduced in 2025 or 2026. Volkswagen looking at options around either an Audi entry with McLaren or a Porsche entry with Red Bull.
