China's Guanyu Zhou to drive for Alfa Romeo F1 team in 2022

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Guanyu Zhou from China will be an Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN driver in the 2022 Formula One season, the Swiss-based team said on Tuesday.

"Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN will have a boost of talent and youthful enthusiasm as Guanyu Zhou joins the team as race driver for the 2022 season," the F1 team said in a statement.

"I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true. It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past. Now the dream is reality," Zhou said.

Zhou, 22, who will be the China's first Formula One driver, will drive alongside Valtteri Bottas next season.

Currently driving for Mercedes, Bottas will leave his team to join Alfa Romeo once the 2021 season ends after the Round 22 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 – on Dec. 12.

Bottas, 32, is an experienced F1 driver, and made his debut with Williams in 2013.

The Finnish athlete racked up 10 Grand Prix victories in his career. He last won the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix in October.

Bottas has been a member of Mercedes in 2017-2021 to partner with British star Lewis Hamilton.

Earlier in the day, Alfa Romeo announced Antonio Giovinazzi will leave the team at the end of this season.

Another Alfa Romeo driver, Kimi Raikkonen, 42, who was the 2007 champion, will retire at the end of 2021.