Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur says the speed in which Zhou Guanyu has adapted to Formula 1 is "one of the best surprises" of the season as the Chinese driver is set to be retained for 2023. The Hinwil-based squad announced on Tuesday morning that rookie Zhou would be staying on for a second term in 2023 alongside veteran teammate Valtteri Bottas. It means Alfa are the sixth to have officially know their driver pairing for 2023, along with Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin. Although AlphaTauri are officially down to have Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, Gasly still could leave to take over the second Alpine drive. Zhou has three points finishes to his name in 2022, with Vassuer praising his driver's ability to adapt and adjust to the demands of F1.
Vasseur on Zhou for 2023
"I am looking forward to continuing working with Zhou," Vasseur said in a team statement. "From day one with the team, at the Abu Dhabi test last year, he has impressed me with his approach to work and this is always a very positive trait. We knew he was quick, but the way he adapted to Formula One in such a short time has been one of the best surprises of our season. "He is a very nice guy, everyone in the team likes both his personality and attitude. He has had the humility to ask questions and learn, from the engineers as well as Valtteri, and the intelligence to apply all the information he got to improve race after race. "He will have this experience to draw on next season, and I am sure he will make another step forward as we continue to grow our team." Together with Bottas, Zhou has helped Alfa Romeo to 52 points from the first 16 races, and the team are currently sixth in the standings, with Haas their closest challengers behind on 36.
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