Guanyu Zhou is already Formula 1 Rookie of the Year 2022 because there is none other than him and due to his lack of experience, Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur points out that Max didn’t have many (car racing) kilometers in his debut either .
Zhou defeated some impressive names vying for the seat alongside newcomer, ex-Mercedes man, 32-year-old Valtteri Bottas, replacing retired Kimi Raikkonen, and 22-year-old Chinese driver as his teammate in place of Antonio Giovinazzi.
An interesting combination of experience and youth that, according to Vasseur, can have its pitfalls: “We all know that Formula 1 is a huge challenge. We also have a new car and only three days of testing per driver, but he’s a smart driver,” emphasizes Vasseur.
Young children are much more mature today than they were 20 years ago
The first three-day test starts in Barcelona and runs from February 23rd to 25th, followed by the second test in Bahrain from March 11th to 13th, leaving little time for both riders, especially rookie Zhou, to move at the highest level even.
In addition, Vasseur has a high opinion of the current starting line-up and knows what lies ahead for his young protégé: “The competition is at a very high level, but we will definitely give him some time to improve. He will feel the pressure to get results.
“However, we believe that we can develop the skills of a young driver and get the best out of Zhou,” explained the Alfa Romeo team boss, but compared it to a few celebrities.
“Max came into F1 without much experience, Charles was good in his first season too, Russell and Norris were good in his first season. That means it’s possible.
“Of course we have different tools than before, such as the simulator. However, I also think that young children are much more mature today than they were 20 years ago. They’re done faster today,” said Vasseur.
New era, new name: Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN is ready for 2022 
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— Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN (@alfaromeoorlen) January 20, 2022
