Zhou living the dream after becoming first Chinese driver in F1

Guanyu Zhou will become the first Chinese driver in Formula 1, after it was announced he will race for Alfa Romeo next season.

Zhou, 22, replaces Antonio Giovinazzi and joins Valtteri Bottas in a new-look line-up at the Italian team in 2022.

His deal completes the grid for next year’s F1 campaign.

Zhou is second in the Formula Two championship, heading into the final two rounds of F1’s feeder series.

“I dreamed from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true,” said Zhou.

“It is a privilege for me to start my F1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into F1 in the past.

“Now the dream is reality. I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of F1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas.”

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a record-breaking eighth world championship took another fascinating twist after Mercedes called on Formula One’s stewards to reconsider their decision not to penalise rival Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Hamilton won the Interlagos race following a superb comeback drive, but Verstappen escaped punishment for running his rival off the road as they duelled for first position.

The stewards noted the incident before looking at the footage and choosing not to launch a formal investigation – a decision Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described as “laughable”.

FIA race director Michael Masi later revealed that the onboard front-facing video from Verstappen’s car was not available when the stewards acted.

At 12.25pm, the footage was aired on social media for the first time, and a little more than three hours later, Mercedes officially exercised their right to review the flashpoint.

In a short statement, the world champions said: “The Mercedes Team confirms that we have today requested a Right of Review under Article 14.1.1 of the International Sporting Code in relation to the Turn 4 incident between Car 44 (Hamilton) and Car 33 (Verstappen) on lap 48 of the Brazilian Grand Prix, on the basis of new evidence unavailable to the stewards at the time of their decision.”

The FIA’s International Sporting Code allows a right to review on the grounds that “a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned”.

The stewards will now consider the significance of the new footage and whether it warrants an appeal.

A retrospective fivesecond time penalty for Verstappen would see him drop behind Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas to third in Sunday’s result – reducing his championship advantage over Hamilton from 14 to 11 points.

A grid penalty could also be an option to the stewards.

Guanyu Zhou competing in Formula Two series.