Formula 1: Zhou Guanyu looking to build on ‘big boost’ to confidence as drivers gear up for British Grand Prix
- Chinese driver’s eighth-place finish in Montreal was the best of his career with Alfa Romeo
- Alfa team principal Frédéric Vasseur says there is no reason his drivers cannot compete at Silverstone
This weekend’s British Grand Prix cannot come soon enough for Zhou Guanyu, who is ready to build on the “big confidence boost” he got from the best result of his short career at the previous race in Montreal.
The Alfa Romeo driver secured his second points haul of the season with his eighth place at the Canadian Grand Prix, a result that came on the back of a frustrating period where he was forced to retire three times in four outings.
But with the team feeling they have turned a corner when it comes to the car’s reliability, boss Frédéric Vasseur said there was “no reason” his drivers couldn’t compete at what he called a “challenging track” at Silverstone.
“We need to keep working hard and not let ourselves be carried away: we know we’re locked in a very tight fight and each qualifying and race will be decided on small details,” Vasseur said.
While Zhou is not one for getting carried away, he said the best result of his rookie season was concrete evidence of the “progress I have made in the nine races since my debut”.
Although there were questions over Alfa’s reasons for handing Zhou a seat for this season, the Chinese driver’s point-winning debut in Bahrain and his continued improvement during qualifying, where he reached the third stage for the first time in Montreal, have answered many of those.
