High Life

112 品 An eighth-place finish in the standings was enough for Zhou to qualifyfortheMacauGrandPrixforthe secondyear running too, flying the flag in front of his home fans to come home in a strong eighth spot on the Guia Circuit despite being the youngest of the four drivers representing his team, SJMTheodore Racing by PREMA. “Last year was my first year in Macau and I found it really difficult in my rookie year, but this year everything went well and I really enjoyed the track,” Zhou says. “I could push myself a bit more to the limits compared to last year. “It’s a special race too and the closest event of the year for me. It’s like a home race. It’s really close to Shanghai and with all the people that come to watch, the support is great.” Zhou’s progress this year also bodes well for the future and when asked about his long-term goals he doesn’t hesitate in stating, “I want to be the first Chinese driver to race in the Formula 1World Championship.” Then again, that Everest peak is a tough one to conquer. “I’m closer than I’ve ever been to reaching it but it’s going to be difficult,” he smiles. “The last stage is always the hardest.”