Revving into the reckoning

The Chinese star again showed his talent in motor sport's digital domain by beating a number of reallife F1 drivers to win the virtual Bahrain Grand Prix in March for Renault.

A month later, Zhou ranked third at the virtual Chinese Grand Prix in April behind second-place Alex Albon of Red Bull and winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

"The e-sports simulator is still very different from real driving," Zhou told China Daily. "It's a video game, so you won't feel the centrifugal force that you do in real racing... But the advantage of it is that the game is for everyone. Not only the pro drivers, all F1 lovers can have fun together. I was thrilled to stand on the podium in the virtual Chinese Grand Prix."

Having resumed training with Renault in the UK, Zhou reported no post-lockdown rustiness, having stayed active at home in recent months.

"It didn't feel strange to return to the team. During the pandemic, I had a conference call with the team two or three times a week. I also had to live-broadcast my fitness training to them," said Zhou.

"Also, for the past year, I have had great cooperation with the team. I'm close friends with many people in the team, so we still have a great connection despite not seeing each other for a long time."

Zhou has certainly fitted in well at Renault. Alongside his F2 commitments, he is regularly a part of the team's pit crew at F1 races, with his input assisting in developments to the car.

Unlike Ferrari and McLaren, who have already confirmed their 2021 lineups, Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has yet to decide on who will line up alongside Esteban Ocon on the grid next year.

"We want to take the time to make sure we make the right decision," Abiteboul told media last month.

"I'm a bit disappointed because I don't think you can build anything without stability. That goes for drivers, but frankly that's also true for the rest of the organization.

"We had a lot of changes last year: 70 percent of our staff have seen a change of management or structure to their department－a new technical director, new head of aero (aerodynamics), a new engineering director."

Those comments suggest that Abiteboul is keen to promote from within, giving Zhou a perfect opportunity to put his foot on the accelerator and prove his credentials.