PlatinumZealot wrote: ↑09 Jul 2023, 01:16
Zhou was impressive as a rookie. And i think quicker than most think he is. I rate him higher than Tsunoda.
His junior career was not impressive. I watched him in junior formulae and his ability is just not a high level. Being flattered at Alfa Romeo 100% and won't be picked up by another team when Audi choose to replace him with a stronger talent. He's an alpine academy reject and even with RB's current drought of talent they didn't even sniff around when it was obvious he was going to be let go from alpine.. but sure you know better based on the 15 mins of total broadcasting he's received over the past year
Perhaps you rate Zhou a lot better because you are simply overrating bottas
Yuki was impressive and rated highly because he came from Asian series to Europe and was immediately up to speed with the European guys who knows the tracks and have no culture barrier. Already in F2 rookie year tsunoda was already on pole in his second race, had multiple race wins, and set multiple lap records in qualifying across the season..
Zhou had 2 poles and 1 win across his first two seasons in F2, which is generally the period considered for serious F1 graduates. In the same period of time his teammates, neither of whom made it close to F1, achieved 7 victories and 6 poles. Outclassed and overshadowed, which you wouldn't expect to ever happen to someone that can be a top tier F1 driver who would do better than a hulk/Perez each with over a decade of experience...
Junior career to F1 success isn't 1:1 but I think there's a reason why F1 team driver academies use them as a general barometer for progress of their juniors and assessment of their readiness for relative steps up.
Look at all of the top drivers in F1, or even mid-level talents like stroll or Ocon or even low level talents like Sargeant and they have vastly more impressive junior careers than Zhou. He's been catapulted by funding and opportunity above his class
