Alfa Romeo surprised by situation: 'The culture is different'.

Alfa Romeo gave Guanyu Zhou the opportunity to prove himself in Formula 1 this season. The team also hoped to benefit from his Chinese nationality by attracting sponsors, but Frédéric Vasseur stated in conversation with Formule1.nl that this is more difficult than expected.

A lot of money goes into the Chinese market every year. As Zhou is the first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Alfa Romeo thought it would be interesting for Chinese companies to enter into a partnership. However, the pandemic, among other things, is standing in the way of this, says Alfa Romeo's team boss.

"It's not that easy," Vasseur says. "The culture is different and it will take time. It is not just a question of putting a Chinese driver in the car. If you want to be attractive you have to perform, probably more in China than anywhere else."

The Chinese Grand Prix has not taken place since 2020 due to the coronavirus. Vasseur is confident that the sponsors will come when the race weekend returns to the calendar. In the meantime, he hopes that Zhou and the team will grow significantly.