Zhou Guanyu is F1’s first and only full-time Chinese driver (Photo: Getty)
F1 pundit Martin Brundle has received some criticism after referring to Zhou Guanyu as a ‘Chinaman’ during Sky Sports’ coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix.
During Sunday’s race, Alfa Romeo star Zhou was involved in a great battle with Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
Commentating alongside David Croft, Brundle said: ‘The German, the Chinaman, the man from Japan and the man from Finland’s [Valtteri Bottas] not too far from them either. A very cosmopolitan race.’
The use of the derogatory term received some backlash from fans on social media, with one saying: ‘Martin Brundle calling Zhou Guanyu “the Chinaman” seems just a bit problematic.’
Another said: ‘Martin Brundle what is up with your choice of words,’ while someone else added: ‘I think Martin Brundle just said something a tad silly about Zhou.’
At the time of writing, there has been no comment on the matter from Brundle or Sky Sports.
It should be stated that the comment was incredibly unusual for Brundle, who is one of the most respected F1 pundits in the world.
Martin Brundle is one of the most respected F1 pundits of all-time (Photo: Getty)
The former driver began punditry work in 1997 and worked for ITV and BBC on their coverage of the sport before joining Sky in 2012.
The 63-year-old is well-known for his pre-race grid walks and the Spanish Grand Prix provided another cracker as he quizzed Mason Mount on his Chelsea future, photobombed football star Neymar and received huge praise from legendary actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Meanwhile Zhou, who became China’s first full-time F1 driver when he made his debut last year, enjoyed a great race, driving from 13th to ninth and picking up two very valuable points for himself and his team.
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The 24-year-old is now 15th in the championship after seven races and level on points with teammate Bottas, while Alfa Romeo are eighth and level on points with Haas.
The 2023 season continues with the Canadian Grand Prix on 18th June.
MORE : Red Bull boss takes swipe at George Russell and Nico Rosberg after Spanish Grand Prix
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The veteran commentator used the derogatory term during the Spanish GP.