Zhou Guanyu inspired by ‘leader’ Lewis Hamilton after receiving racist abuse

Zhou Guanyu has revealed the amazing support he has received from Sir Lewis Hamilton, both on and off the track, throughout his rookie season.

The Alfa Romeo driver has endured a solid yet unremarkable start to Formula 1 and currently sits 17th in the standings going into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

After notably finishing in the points on his debut in Bahrain, Zhou has remained largely out of the spotlight, bar a spectacular and terrifying crash at the start of the British Grand Prix where his C42 flipped upside-down and hurtled into the barriers.

The 23-year-old has now opened up about how he has settled into the sport and revealed that Hamilton, one of his biggest idols, has played a special part in his development.

‘He [Hamilton] congratulated me after Bahrain and we sometimes stay in touch,’ Zhou told Crash.net.

‘Not knowing him for long, I think it’s the first time I’ve actually got to know him, this year. Obviously, [there’s] advice he wouldn’t give me, because it’s a competition!

‘But he’s been very much on my side, and he knows what I’ve been through, because it’s kind of similar.’

Zhou, China’s first full-time F1 driver, added that since last year’s announcement that he would be joining the grid he has suffered from online racial abuse.

Hamilton has notably been a victim of racism throughout his long-career, and in the last few years especially has been heavily campaigning for more diversity and equality in the F1 community and the wider world.

Zhou takes heart and inspiration from Hamilton’s example, adding: ‘I feel like I’ve experienced what he experienced maybe two years ago, when he was standing out and getting all the racist comments, especially last year.

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