Valtteri Bottas vs. Zhou Guanyu 2023 F1 Drivers Championship Overview
Following a decent rookie season to extend his drive with Alfa Romeo, Zhou Guanyu holds himself well enough against teammate and multiple Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas. His Finnish teammate was brought into the constructor to be team leader after his stint with Mercedes and filled his role as Zhou’s mentor since suiting up for the Zurich-based constructor.
Alfa Romeo’s results and competitive edge remain turbulent in the 2023 season, with their driver pair forcing their way in and around the points given the chance. With that, let’s check out the numbers between Bottas and Zhou in this head-to-head.
2023 Drivers’ Championship Season Head-To-Head Odds
[get-out-right event=”2990977″]Seeing you at the #F1 Fan Forums is always a highlight of our weekend. pic.twitter.com/9mISqO8aNN
— Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake (@alfaromeostake) July 25, 2023
Valtteri Bottas
Like many Formula 1 drivers, Bottas started his career in karting. He participated in the Karting World Cup in 2005 before winning the 2008 Formula Renault Eurocup and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup. The Finn moved up to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2009 and spent a few years there before he was named as the Williams F1 team test driver in 2010. He eventually made the move to a Formula 1 seat in 2013, driving alongside Pastor Maldonado. His impressive results with the team eventually drew the attention of Mercedes after four seasons.
Bottas replaced the departing Nico Rosberg in 2017. He finished his first race for the team third in the Australian Grand Prix and claimed his first career victory in the Russian Grand Prix. His portfolio began to flourish behind the Silver Arrow, claiming P2 finishes in Canada and Azerbaijan. Although the Finn mostly drove behind the shadow of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, he did produce positive performances that allowed Mercedes to win multiple Constructor Championships.
The year 2022 marked a new chapter for Valtteri, moving to Alfa Romeo on a multi-year deal. A top-five finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix would be his best result for the team. He remains in search of a first podium finish with his Ferrari-powered car. So far this season, the 33-year-old ranks 15th in the Driver Standings with five points in 11 starts. Bottas has a pair of Q2 appearances, a P7 best start, and a best result of P8.
Zhou Guanyu
The Shanghai-born driver started his karting career at an early age, before moving to Europe in search of a more competitive motorsport scene. He spent a few years in karting before joining the 2015 Italian F4 Championship where he ended the season as runner-up and top rookie. Zhou’s improvement saw him advance to Formula 3 in 2016, where he spent a few seasons racing.
Zhou ranked up to Formula 2 for 2019 with UNI-Virtuosi Racing. After a promising year, he ended the F2 season in seventh place as the season’s top rookie, scoring five podium finishes and even a pole position in the Silverstone Feature Race. With a good pace, he eventually reached the pinnacle of motorsport and joined Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season. His entry into the series also marks a major breakthrough in Chinese motorsport history.
His season-opener race in Bahrain is memorable as Zhou became the 66th driver to score points on debut at P10. More points finishes in Canada and Italy followed, bringing him up to 18th in the Drivers’ Championship with six points. Though Zhou finished 2022 behind teammate Bottas in the Driver Standings, the Chinese look more experienced this time as he finds himself behind his Finn teammate at P16.
The 24-year-old already has 11 race entries this season, featuring a Q3 appearance and a P5 best start. He found points on two occasions good for four World Championship points and 16th place in the Driver Standings.
Where to Bet on F1 with Crypto
Formula 1 features a continuously growing betting market for veteran and novice punters. Motorsport lovers will get a kick out of our F1 odds selection, which features Drivers and Constructors’ Championship futures and outright winners of each Grand Prix.
This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more Formula 1 previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest sports betting odds at our crypto sportsbook.
*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.READ MORE: Charles Leclerc vs. Carlos Sainz 2023 F1 Drivers Championship Overview