Formula One comes with a certain level of glitz and glamour, and any fashionista won’t be disappointed walking the paddock on any Grand Prix weekend.
Sure, there are plenty of team polos or branded items (most of which will probably catch your eye). Lewis Hamilton elevates the game with his personal style with bold colors and options. But this season, F1’s beloved fashion icon may have found his match: Zhou Guanyu.
The Alfa Romeo driver and F1’s only rookie wore a Supreme jersey and Prada shoes on the Thursday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, both brands that are staples in his wardrobe. Fashion is a passion for Zhou, who described his style as “high-end for a Formula One driver.”
The 23-year-old burst onto the F1 scene this season with a flashy P10 finish in Bahrain, but as the season went on he experienced more in his first 15 F1 races than most veterans in the top 5 to 10 years of his racing: five DNFs with a host of reliability issues and a heart-stopping accident at Silverstone, where the halo arguably saved his life.
But he has remained bold and dedicated, making those back home proud when he became the first Chinese Formula One driver to start a grand prix when he was recalled to Alfa Romeo. Even with just five points to his name after unfortunate circumstances, Zhou is still happy to be on the grid.
A self-proclaimed Kobe Bryant fan growing up, he embraced Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” as he struggled to achieve his dream and dealt with the pressures of being in F1. Now, Zhou returns to Monza hoping his luck will continue on a track that has been good for him in the past.
As F1 gears up for the final race of the triple header, Sports Illustrated spoke to the Alfa Romeo driver about being F1’s only rookie and first Chinese driver, what Monza is really like and what the “Mamba Mentality” means to him.
The only F1 rookie this season walks through the paddock ahead of the Italian GP weekend.
IMAGO / Panoramic
Fuel for Thought is Sports Illustrated’s exclusive Q&A session featuring the biggest names in Formula One. The following Q&As have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Sports Illustrated: What’s Monza like? How is it because you were on the podium last season?
Zhou Guanyu: It has a very special memory for me because it’s also the track where I won my first race in a single-seater in Formula Four in 2015… It’s great to have that because it was the first time I heard from the Chinese. national anthem on top of the podium. So it’s always a special moment. And of course last year was good to finish P2, and Monza this year is the home race for the team. So [it] it always gives me extra, shall we say, motivation and excitement.
SI: How has this season been, especially being the only rookie?
ZG: It has been difficult but very nice on the other hand, because now I really enjoy every weekend just because [at] the beginning of the season, there are many doubts. And I am very happy that I can turn everything around and show real speed, the real me and F1. So it was great to adapt quite quickly to the speed and of course score points, go to Q3 twice. It’s definitely well within the target that I was setting myself, and everyone in the team is very happy, so that’s the main thing. Of course, there were some negative moments with various DNFs while I was quite comfortable in the points. That was a bit unfortunate and he also had a big incident at Silverstone.
SI: You have experienced everything most veteran drivers experience over an extended period of time.
ZG: Yes, exactly. Like I said, I experienced things that people experience [in] maybe five years, 10 years, in one. It’s not something I want to do because most of them obviously [were not] the way i wanted to be. But, I mean, that’s how motorsports is. It can be very hard, sometimes. These problems [are] out of your control, and it happened. But we are happy that, by my side, I was still able to achieve everything I would like to do and keep walking, growing as a Formula One driver.
The only rookie during the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
IMAGO / HochZwei
SI: You kind of touched this a bit, but who are you? Who you really are?
ZG: It is Zhou Guanyu. Not much more to say. I like to convince people [with] everything is on track and obviously I do my job, deliver results, and improve my skills and show people that that’s why I’m here. That is, I think, the main thing that I tried to achieve this year, what we already did, and to continue [do] that. and the other hand, [I’m a] very open-minded person, you know. I have a lot of other hobbies besides racing, and I just want to be the real me, inside and out.
SI: What are some of your hobbies? What is your happy place outside of racing?
ZG: I like to listen to rap, hip hop music. I like to get into these trendy things and wear cool things. And also designing helmets or clothes is my next hobby and something I like to do when I’m not racing.
SI: Do you have a favorite outfit that you’ve worn so far this season?
ZG: I mean, everything. My favorite outfit is probably always next, so I’m hoping Singapore is the best. I decide what I want to wear… Lewis [Hamilton] he was obviously the first to do that, and I started doing it. In fact, there are more people doing that, following in our footsteps. So it’s great to see people trying to be [themselves]wear his clothes. Hopefully it’s his ideas, and it’s great to see others and the other side of motorsport.
SI: How would you describe your fashion style?
ZG (laughing): High level for a Formula One driver. Very much in line with Mr. Hamilton, but obviously I try to do my best and try to wear whatever I feel comfortable with. I feel like I’m happy to have that look. Not really getting someone to do my own fashion sense, getting someone to prepare my clothes for the runway on Thursday. For me, it’s more like wearing what I feel is the right thing to do. so always [my real self].
SI: So what is it like racing against drivers you grew up watching or some of your heroes like Fernando Alonso?
ZG: Beautifull crazy girl. Obviously, [I] I didn’t expect that to have happened maybe two years ago. … So it’s great to have that because he was the person, let’s say, I was growing up and watching him and wanted to be as good as him one day. He was kind of a Formula One driver who inspired me a lot joining at a very young age. then to [have] he achieved what he achieved to be in F1 and competing against him is quite sensational. I’m really honored to have that opportunity because obviously he was here before I started karting.
Fernando Alonso and Zhou before the Austrian Grand Prix.
IMAGO / HochZwei
SI: When did you realize that your dream of being an F1 driver could be a reality?
ZG: Maybe mid-season late last year. … You have your dream that you want [be] aiming, but believe me, the older you get and the more mature you become, the closer you get to that goal, the less realistic it feels, especially for me as a Chinese driver, because there are a lot of good things. youngest series drivers [who] I want to be like an F1 driver, but for me I have no one. [who] you can give me a great help. I don’t have factories, people like that, and it’s super difficult coming from where I come from because the culture is different. So you have to really believe in yourself, which I did. … So yeah, last year, I finally felt like… actually, I have a shot at that seat. [I] he did, so happy.
SI: How did you stay motivated throughout that trip?
ZG: It’s great, first of all, that people believe in you too. So a lot of fans or people around me say that I can do it. And I always believed in myself, because the guys that I’ve raced against in the past actually became Formula One drivers. For example, people like Lando [Norris]mick [Schumacher]. Everything became much more realistic and I felt like I had a chance. Being the only Chinese driver fighting for a championship being F2, F3, that’s something I already [motivated] a lot and have a lot of support at home. So everyone wanted me to be in Formula One as much as I did. So I really want to make people proud. for that reason, it is that [kept] I am going.
SI: Why did you choose number 24 for your car?
ZG: First of all, my favorite number has [been chosen] so i checked all this. He was growing up a huge fan of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers and he watched a lot of basketball when he was very young. Basically, I want to do that in honor of Kobe. Also just for [keep] his mentality, to keep me in Formula One. So I hope it will bring me a bit of luck to continue here. That is the reason because I want to choose a number that means something to me or has some energy for me instead of just choosing a number. [lucky] number for me
SI: What does his Mamba Mentality mean to you?
ZG: I think it means a lot to all athletes because it’s like when you’re one of the best in your country, which was one of the best in the world in the NBA and then you’re training harder than everyone else. What he said in his book is crazy. I’m just saying he’ll be training at 4am or something. And like he said, when you stop training…they will catch up with you. If you want to always be the leader, then you have to always be putting in twice the effort. I think that’s what everyone in the world should do when they want to achieve something.
The Alfa Romeo driver during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
IMAGO / Panoramic
SI: So, heading into this weekend, what should we be looking out for with the Italian Grand Prix? Which part of the track is the most challenging and why? Because it’s probably the lowest downforce setup they’ll ever have.
ZG: I think the main thing is Turn 1 because I think everything is making the most of the action here at Turn 1. It’s very easy to miss the break point and lock up the front tires like we’ve seen happen in the past. I think it’s going to be difficult, and as you just said, with low downforce, there’s a very small window where you have to be doing the right braking zone. So it could be a very challenging race. I think it will be a tough and very unpredictable race, so hopefully we can come out better than the previous races.
SI: With this next generation and I guess our generation as well, it’s kind of a different storm with how social media has such a big presence in everyone’s lives. What would be your advice for this next generation?
ZG: My generation has always been like this, so it’s pretty normal for me. With the pressure, with the things that I had on social media, let’s say, last year when I signed, I think no one can imagine how much I earned just for a child who achieves his dream. For me, there was no problem because I always look positively, because otherwise I wouldn’t be here. People will try to bring you down. People are jealous of everything you do when you get to the top, which is very understandable. So if what they say makes them happy, then I’m happy to let them do it. But all I have to do is do all the real talk, on the track, which for athletes is what you want to do. And never put your head around the [negative] stuff. So always try to overlook what is bad and only look at the positives. Just believe in yourself, and everyone will change their minds. Like this year, they did.
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Source: www.si.com