Zhou Guanyu, the Chinese Formula One driver, made his debut for Alfa Romeo, now Kick Sauber, in 2022, marking a significant milestone for racers from the state of China. After Alfa Romeo stepped down as title sponsor, the 24-year-old will compete in his third F1 season in 2024 for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, a rebranded version of the team.
The Chinese driver will be with the Kick Sauber team until the end of season 2024, as he has yet to sign a contract extension. Amidst all the uncertainties about his career, Guanyu recently got an opportunity to flex how big of a brand he is. He has signed an endorsement deal with ASUS-ROG, part of the tech giant ASUS. The Chinese driver will be their new global ambassador according to the announcement he made on X.
Happy to announce that I’ll be the ambassador for ROG. ASUS ROG computer equipments! Zhou Guanyu wrote on X.
Zhou made his Formula 2 debut in 2019 and went on to win multiple races and secure pole positions in three seasons before challenging for the drivers’ championship in 2021. He landed a seat at Alfa Romeo in 2022 after the then-team principal Fred Vasseur gave him the shot, seeing his capabilities as a racer as well as someone who could bring in significant sponsorships. Going into the 2024 season, he is in the hot seat and has to perform to keep his seat.
Zhou Guanyu admits that after securing his F1 seat, it was impossible to avoid criticism
China’s first Formula One driver, Zhou Guanyu, has faced much criticism since securing a 2022 seat with Alfa Romeo. Guanyu is eager for the Chinese Grand Prix to return in 2024 after his 2023 performances earned him another year at the wheel. Guanyu mentioned the criticism he received after becoming an F1 driver, due to claims that he got the seat because of money was hurtful as he had to work his whole life to get to the level.
That winter, in November of 2021, when Alfa Romeo announced I’d be in the seat, I knew what people thought of me. It was impossible not to hear it. And it’s hard, right, because I worked my entire life for an opportunity like that. My family sacrificed a lot. We moved from China to Sheffield when I was 12. It took everything. Some luck, too. And then before I ever get a chance to race, it’s, ‘he doesn’t deserve it, it should be so-and-so, he’s only there because of money’. Zhou Guanyu said (H&T: formula1.com).
He is on a mission to perform under pressure going into the season and prove that he deserves a seat in the top tier. This weekend Bahrain GP will be the right place to start for him as he has always been impressive in the season opener.
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