“It means a lot to me,” says Guanyue Zhou after entering the third trimester for the first time. The Chinese managed to beat veteran teammate Valtteri Bottas for the second time in a row in Formula 1 and break into the top 10 for the first time.

“I’m very happy that I managed to do that,” says Zhou, who finished last in the third quarter and will therefore start from tenth.

“Since I woke up this morning and saw the situation, I knew anything could happen,” says the Alfa Romeo driver. “We’ve been close to Q3 several times in the past, but I didn’t expect to make it here in Montreal, which is a whole new track for me.”

Furthermore, Zhou does not yet have much experience in the rain: after Imola and his third training session, it was only his third season in the wet. Despite this, unlike teammate Valtteri Bottas, he was able to survive Q2 and qualify for the final stage in seventh place.

Zhou: Defaults 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. “Today was really difficult there, 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 lap in Q3 was a bit chaotic, but I’m glad I was able to use the car to its full potential,” said Zhou, who is hoping for his second-digit result on Sunday. “Maybe we can get both cars in the points,” he says.

Because teammate Bottas starts from eleventh, just behind Zhou. The Finn was eventually dropped out of the top 10 and was unlucky over time: “I was one of the first to cross the line as the track was moving at about a second per second. Everyone behind me There was 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 difficult, especially in Q1 when visibility was reduced to zero. The surface improved rapidly in Q2 and it felt like a huge improvement” Bottas said. Told.

But he also knows that the signs will completely change on Sunday as it will remain dry. “We took this into account when voting and I hope 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 there.”

He still has special admiration for his teammates: “It’s nice to see that,” he shared with Zhou. “He wants good results and needs them for his confidence. I hope he can have a good race and has good credibility. But Baku helped him and I told him to take confidence at his own pace, that he Can do that. He’s pretty good at it.”