Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou will make his Formula One practice debut with Alpine in Austria this weekend, the Renault-owned team said on Monday.
The Shanghai-born 22-year-old will take double world champion Fernando Alonso’s car for the opening hour-long Friday session.
Zhou is the team’s test driver and is currently leading the Formula Two championship.
He will be the first Chinese to take part in a Friday session since Ma Qing Hua featured in Chinese Grand Prix practice with now-defunct Caterham in 2013. No Chinese driver has ever raced in F1.
« There have not been many Chinese drivers in Formula One, so to be behind the wheel of an F1 car during a race weekend is going to be a very proud feeling, » said Zhou.
« It’s going to be even more special that I’m driving Fernando’s car as he inspired me to pursue a career in racing when I was young. »
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/31736523/china-guanyu-zhou-make-f1-practice-debut-alpine-austria