The third-year UNI Virtuosi F2 driver produced an spectacular weekend point out highlighted by pole dwelling on Friday, adopted by a faultless drive to victory in Sunday’s characteristic escape.
Zhou was once additionally denied victory in escape two after slipping to third on the final lap within the benefit of academy competitors Oscar Piastri and Christian Lundgaard, having struggled on ancient tyres in contrast with his counterparts who gambled for unusual rubber.
Creep two, nonetheless, underlined the hotly-contested battle amongst the Alpine Academy drivers vying to power their ability into the Anglo-French squad’s F1 future plans.
The academy’s trio showcased their valuable person skill all the scheme in which thru the weekend with Zhou pipping Lundgaard to pole by three thousandth of a 2nd.
F2 rookie Piastri additionally turned heads qualifying and racing strongly to fifth in escape one, sooner than passing Zhou on the final lap to file an very perfect making an strive debut be pleased in escape two.
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Given the performances of his academy competitors, Zhou admitted it was once a “perfect feeling” to come benefit out on top after the principle weekend of the season.
Creep winner Guanyu Zhou, Uni-Virtuosi Racing celebrates in Parc Ferme
Disclose by: Designate Sutton / Motorsport Photos
“We are here combating for our beget championship, we escape laborious but vivid, but clearly popping out on top is for certain a legit feeling,” mentioned Zhou, when asked by Autosport if it was once vital to in finding a be pleased on the board after Piastri’s triumph.
“Obviously the day before nowadays (Saturday) was once a disgrace, I was once gutted that I might no longer benefit the lead on the final lap, but we made up for it this day (Sunday) and that is the foremost thing. It be going to be a protracted year so I will benefit pushing.
“We be pleased been all mercurial. It’ll be a sharp strive in opposition to the total ability to the fabricate.”
Whereas the characteristic escape victory made up for the heartbreak of falling short in escape two, Sunday’s triumph was once additionally a redemption 2nd for Zhou having misplaced a doable characteristic escape be pleased to a mechanical yell in final season’s opener in Austria.
“It feels worship in Austria the be pleased was once taken off us as a result of the factors we had, and this year again we tried to birth up really fundamental. We did the job in qualy and additionally the characteristic escape,” he added.
“Focused on how crazy Saturday’s races be pleased been, I did no longer really query to attain one thing else but the key was once to take perfect aspects and searching for to in finding the be pleased.
“There wasn’t any key moments every 2nd was once slightly intense accessible namely as I started on top from pole that’s now no longer the formula that of us in most cases would attain.
“It for certain made up for the disgrace we had final year and apt now I am vivid clear jubilant with what we done this season, namely at Bahrain, namely in contrast with our pre-season testing performance and now coming to the explicit escape weekend.”
Zhou now leads the standings by 11 aspects from F2 rookie Liam Lawson, who loved a stellar debut punctuated by a be pleased in his first escape within the sequence, adopted by a third in Sunday’s characteristic.
The championship heads to Monaco for spherical two on 20-22 Might perchance perchance well presumably additionally simply.
