“That means a lot to me,” says Guanyu Zhou after his first entry into Q3. The Chinese was able to beat his experienced team-mate Valtteri Bottas in Formula 1 for the second time in a row and made it into the top 10 for the first time.
“I’m very happy that I managed to do that,” says Zhou, who finished last in Q3 and will therefore start from tenth place.
“From the moment I woke up this morning and saw the conditions, I knew anything could happen,” says the Alfa Romeo driver. “We’ve been close to Q3 many times in the past, but I didn’t expect to make it here in Montreal, which is a whole new track for me.”
In addition, Zhou does not yet have much experience in the rain: after Imola and the third training session before, it was only his third session in the wet. Despite this, unlike teammate Valtteri Bottas, he was able to survive Q2 and qualify for the final leg in seventh place.
Zhou: Laps in Q3 ‘were chaotic’
“I enjoyed racing in these conditions and with the added pressure on us drivers because every little mistake can affect our performance,” he says. “It was really difficult out there today, the track was slippery and it was almost impossible to see the other riders in front of us. I’m glad I was able to give it my all.”
“My laps in Q3 were a bit chaotic, but I’m glad I was able to use the car’s full potential,” said Zhou, who is hoping to get his second points result on Sunday. “Maybe we can get both cars in the points,” he says.
Because teammate Bottas starts eleventh, right behind Zhou. The Finn was thrown out of the top 10 at the very end and was a little unlucky with the timing: “I was one of the first to cross the line as the track was speeding up almost a second per lap. Everyone behind me had a big advantage, so I wasn’t lucky,” he says.
Alfa Romeo wants to fight for points with both cars
“It’s a shame because the car felt good in mixed conditions. The track was quite tricky, especially in Q1 when visibility went to zero. In Q2 the surface improved quickly and it felt like a big improvement “said Bottas.
But he also knows that the signs will change completely on Sunday because it will be dry. “We took that into account when voting and I expect that we will be competitive,” he says. “We can fight for some good points with both cars. It’s good that both Zhou and I are up there.”
He still has a special praise for his team-mate: “It’s nice to see,” he shared with Zhou. “He wants good results and needs them for his confidence. I hope he can have a good race and that the reliability is good. But Baku helped him and I told him to take confidence from his pace, that he can do it. He’s quite good at it.”