Zhou Guanyu praises Lewis Hamilton for making Thursdays a ‘catwalk’ in F1 paddock
Lewis Hamilton is known for his iconic wardrobe in F1, Zhou Guanyu has also been on the same path since making his debut.
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Zhou Guanyu and Lewis Hamilton, images via IMAGO
On weekends, F1 is a sport that pushes drivers to their absolute limits. On the contrary, in the buildup to the Grand Prix, on press days, it allows drivers to express their interests on the global stage and leave a mark on it. Moreover, this effect has been utilized by Lewis Hamilton, who is known for his presence in the fashion world, Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu has also become a bit of a fashion icon ever since making his debut in the sport.
In previous decades, drivers used to arrive at the media day in the team kits and fulfilled their obligations by answering the questions asked to them. This soon started changing, Lewis Hamilton became one of the first movers to utilize the sport’s platform for spreading a message on a global scale.
The 39-year-old’s massive presence in the fashion world has often surfaced on the internet. Subsequently, Zhou Guanyu revealed Hamilton’s role in making fashion more viable on the grid.
In Formula 1, it was great with what Lewis has been able to do to finally bring the fashion and to have that Thursday to be a little bit of a fashion catwalk – a bit similar to what the NBA is doing when they walk into the stadium. I think it’s great to have that. I can see a massive change. I started to bring some fashion to the paddock and then some other drivers also started doing that. So now it’s become a usual thing on Thursday for all of the drivers and I’m happy with it.
Zhou Guanyu said in an interview with Crash
On the other hand, with Hamilton soon moving to Maranello, experts have reckoned that a conflict of interest might occur at the Italian squad. The 39-year-old would want a change in the norms followed at Ferrari as the Scuderia drivers are often known for being restricted to Ferrari apparel, this could make the situation a bit tense in Maranello next year.
Zhou Guanyu revealed his post-Formula 1 ambitions
While Sauber will fully transform into Audi in 2026, it still has to sign a driver for its second seat. However, Zhou does not appear to be the favorite, as per the paddock chatter, Valtteri Bottas is leading the race for the drive.
This has made the possibility of the 2024 season being the Chinese driver’s last year in F1. Subsequently, the 25-year-old shed light on his ambitions for the future.
I would like a go-kart circuit in Shanghai. That’s really related to my career so far, so I want people to have that. I think that’s going to be massively helpful for the younger generations back home. Of course fashion is a hobby, something I like to do, but I wouldn’t say I want to spend all my time [in that] when I’ve finished in motorsports. After motorsports you just want to have a nice, settled down life.
Zhou Guanyu said in the same interview
Even if the Sauber driver’s career comes to an end, he would have left a massive impact on the young racers in China. His heartwarming moment at the Chinese GP explained the importance of achieving his dream of racing in F1 while bearing the Chinese flag.
![Carlos Sainz [L] Lewis Hamilton [R]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Carlos-Sainz-Lewis-Hamilton-600x338.jpg)
On the other hand, Zhou’s 2024 campaign has been underwhelming. The Chinese driver has an average finishing position of 16th and his season highlight was in Bahrain, where he finished just outside the points. He is almost guaranteed to exit from the F1 landscape after the end of this year’s Abu Dhabi GP.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(742 Articles Published)