In the round-up: Anticipation for the first Chinese Grand Prix in five years is so high fans crashed a website selling tickets for the race, says Zhou Guanyu.
In brief
Zhou expects “memorable” first home race
Sauber driver Zhou is poised to become the first Chinese driver to compete in their home grand prix when F1 returns to the Shanghai International Circuit in April. He said interest in the series has ballooned since F1 last visited the track in 2019.
“I was at the dinner table at eight o’clock, that was when the ticket was selling, and then people was just texting me that my grandstand had been sold out in four minutes,” he said. “In reality, the first 10 minutes, because the app was shutting down by too many users trying to buy the tickets.
“So it’s great news, I think, especially for China, coming back after five seasons, to finally have the grand prix there and just to see the whole audience, how much it’s been growing, has been built over the last past few years.”
Zhou said his arrival in F1 two years ago as China’s first race driver to enter the series has “made a massive impact” on its popularity. “It is great to see. Also a lot of the young generations, they are starting go karts, racing abroad more often compared to the age I was, moving out to try to do racing in motorsports or to gradually get into Formula 1.
“So it’s exciting, not just my grandstand, the whole ticket has been sold out for the grand prix, so can’t wait for that. And it’s a sprint race weekend so I think the fans can have definitely more entertainment and there will be more racing action going on so it’s going to be a memorable weekend.”
Haas VF-24 completes first run
Hauger leads wet F2 test in Bahrain
Unusually, rain affected both Formula 2 and Formula 3 testing in Bahrain as well as a Formula 4 UAE at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi last weekend.
The rain in Bahrain complicated F2 teams’ first test with a full complement of the new Dallara F2 2024 chassis. Dennis Hauger ended the day on top for MP Motorsport with a best time of 1’53.175.
Leon leads F3 test
Van Amersfoort’s Noel Leon led the F3 test in Bahrain after drivers conducted only minimal running in the morning session due to the wet track surface. Leon covered 19 laps and his best effort of 1’46.657 put him just 15 thousandths of a second ahead of Oliver Goethe.
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Al Azhari takes F4 UAE points lead ahead of finale
Freddie Slater returned to Yas Marina leading the Formula 4 UAE series but fell to second in the standings at the conclusion of the triple-header yesterday having come away from the weekend point-less. Keanu Al Azhari, who tangled with Slater in Saturday’s opening race, mustered a second-place finish in yesterday’ second encounter to take a 16-point lead into this weekend’s finale at the Dubai Autodrome.
Two more new winners yesterday means the series has now seen eight different drivers take victory over the 12 races to date. They were taken by Gabriel Stilp, who won a rare rain-hit race at the track, and Rashid Al Dhaheri, the latter moving into fifth in the standings.
Bilinki poised to clinch Formula Regional Oceania title
Roman Bilinski increased his lead over nearest points rival Liam Sceats with second and fifth places in yesterday’s two Formula Regional Oceania rounds at Ruapuna. Victories went the way of Sceats and Michael Shin. Bilinksi, who won the weekend’s opening race, goes into this weekend’s finale at Highlands Motorsport Park with a 56-point lead over Sceats.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Button in legal row after ‘fraudulently’ selling prized 1970’s Ford Bronco (The Sun)
'Documents filed at Los Angeles County Court accuse Button and his wife of fraud, intentional misrepresentation and breach of contract.'
León praises Van Amersfoort Racing after going fastest on opening day of pre-season (F3)
'Obviously it’s really strange here in Bahrain because of all the rain. So, let’s see how it is going to be tomorrow morning because it seems it could be wet overnight.'
Jeffers wins YACademy Winter Series title at Homestead-Miami (Formula Scout)
'Jeffers made it a hat-trick of victories on Sunday, and this time built a comfortable gap over Taylor in second place before the race was neutralised. Cooley, Vergea and Patricio Gonzalez completed the top five, with Wheldon’s title hopes coming undone four laps from the end.'
Jos Verstappen second in Rallye des Route du Nord (Verstappen)
'Jos Verstappen finished the Rallye des Route du Nord in second place. In their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car, the 51-year-old Dutchman and his co-driver Renaud Jamoul, were only 8.5 seconds shy of the win, which was claimed by Pierre Ragues.'
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it to us via the contact form.
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
Oh how we’ve missed that sound 🖤
The #VF24 has completed its first lap at our Silverstone Shakedown. #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/si0zxLDjxg
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) February 11, 2024
Night testing + wet track = absolute treat🤩#F2 #F2Testing pic.twitter.com/2S0Sx1X1FN
— Bahrain Int. Circuit (@BAH_Int_Circuit) February 11, 2024
BTS with Kimi Antonelli as he gives us a complete tour of the @PREMA_Team garage on our first @Formula2 test day of the season!#bts #f2 #kimiantonelli #garagetour pic.twitter.com/xFpq7a4LIK
— PREMA (@PREMA_Team) February 11, 2024
More laps in the bank. 💪
Oscar is back in the 2022 MCL36 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/fotJu0njcV
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 11, 2024
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
There were loads of great suggestions for this week’s Caption Competition, especially those from Ruben, Gilles Amon, MichaelV12, Andy Kennedy and Steve Rogers, but EffWunFan is our winner:
Estaban was adamant that he’d lost a Euro down the side of the seat.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
Happy birthday!
No RaceFans birthdays today
Tristan (@skipgamer)
12th February 2024, 2:10
Interesting that Stake still benefits from advertising such as in the header image here meanwhile Sauber have done a complete cleanse of the name on their site. As for Zhou, that is very likely the only reason he’s still in F1, not to say that there’s anything wrong with that at all. It’s actually great to hear more kids are able to get involved with motorsport because of it.
BasCB (@bascb)
12th February 2024, 8:41
I do think Zhou has earned his drive (more or less), he’s certainly not one of the hot prospects, but then again, their cars haven’t exactly been material to show off too often either.
To me it is great that chinese are buying up tickets, sure, they are a bit the same as the Dutch coming out in droves for Verstappen (Jos that is) and getting to find out about F1 for the first time. And unless there comes a next chinese driver after him (like Max did!) to fight for championships, I am sure that Chinese interest will dwindle after he is gone. But it’s still a lot better than going there and having gigantic grandstands that are covered in advertising boards to hide the emptyness.
James Bond (@jamesbond)
12th February 2024, 4:10
When to expect the 1st Chinese Formula One team? That would be fantastic.
Yellow Baron
12th February 2024, 5:37
Same time the first Saudi/middle eastern team will come. That would be fantastic.
Jere (@jerejj)
12th February 2024, 5:54
VF-24 looks more or less as I expected & Haas is again one of those teams that freely show their actual car in shakedown.
While the most recent WEC Bahrain 6H event received last year’s worth of rain, last weekend’s events probably received the same for both Bahrain & UAE.
On a side note, the new-spec F2 rear wing looks similar to present-SF car spec rear wing.
David Morgan (@onabike)
12th February 2024, 7:30
On the F1 website it says ticket sales have not started yet for China, and gives you the option to be notified when they open????
Anyone know how to buy them?
BasCB (@bascb)
12th February 2024, 8:41
Maybe they decided to sell only for locals so far?
Jay
12th February 2024, 8:44
There’s probably more to the story but Button selling his girlfriends car as his own is pretty low. I wonder if there is anybody with integrity that has over 1 million dollars. I have my doubts.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
12th February 2024, 9:06
What’s worse – if true – is not just accepting that it was misleading, and taking what for him would be a small hit, and taking the car back.
S
12th February 2024, 9:06
Sure they do – just ask them.
And if you want a second opinion, ask them twice.
Tristan
12th February 2024, 21:13
Uhhh definitely! A million dollars is a pretty low bar these days.
Probably about 50 million is where the pendulum swings. Anyone still hoarding past that has not a shred.