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There’s no place like home. For most of the Formula 1 grid, a return to familiar comforts at a much-loved circuit is something to behold, thrive and revel in. In fact, it’s only the Haas pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen and the Alfa Romeo team of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu who have not basked in such an experience in 2023. But all eyes for Zhou – Formula 1’s first Chinese driver in its 73-year history – now point firmly towards 21 April 2024. The sport’s return to one of the world’s powerhouses has, four times, been put on hold due to the pandemic – both the world-altering event itself and the country’s controversial zero-covid policy in the aftermath. Yet next year will see the Shanghai International Circuit host once more; all that was left was for Zhou’s presence to be confirmed. That came on Thursday morning. Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, the 24-year-old penned a one-year extension with Alfa Romeo to race with the Sauber-works team for a third-straight year. F1’s worldwide popularity boom has not diverted past China – and next spring we will see the full impact of Zhou’s spot on the grid. “It’s the dream fulfilled – the first Chinese driver in F1, it’s a huge thing for a massive country like us,” Zhou tells The Independent. “So many more Chinese fans are engaged in F1 compared to the past, obviously me getting into the sport means more people follow the races. “The pressure started two to three years ago, so it’s no longer a surprise. I’ve been through that period. I’m fine with the pressure. Now, it’s all about having a good example to set and inspire younger generations.” That pressure, both from the fanbase and within the paddock itself, is inescapable. Just ask Nyck de Vries: a Formula 2 and Formula E champion, he was ruthlessly axed from his AlphaTauri seat in July after just 10 races. For all the riches of the globe-trotting spectacle, F1 remains undeniably cut-throat. Yet you won’t see Zhou having too much sympathy. “There’s a lot of pressure in Formula 1,” he states. “Only winners stay in this sport. If you can’t perform, if you’re outperformed by others, you’re going to lose the seat. That’s the reality. It’s the way everyone lives. The pressure is there, you don’t have a lot of time and you’ve really got to get on with it. “If you can’t do that, then you won’t stay here for long.” Zhou’s performances behind the wheel of a struggling Alfa car this year – languishing ninth in the Constructors’ Standings no less – have clearly impressed enough for a third bite at the cherry. Four points from 14 races would, typically, be a topic of major concern. Yet with experienced team-mate Bottas only two points up the standings, it is difficult to place too much blame on the drivers in the cockpit. With Audi’s takeover looming large for 2026, work is hurriedly being done in the background. “The results have been difficult to take,” he says. “We didn’t expect Aston Martin and McLaren to be so fast this year. It basically means we are fighting for two positions every week. My total points don’t show how much I’ve improved as a driver. I made some mistakes last year, but this year it’s more about the car.” Zhou’s assuredness stems from a childhood of contrasts: his formative years spent in the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, followed by time as a teenager in the Steel City. Learning a new language and new culture, he went by the name of Steven at Westbourne School in Sheffield. “The culture and language are obviously completely different,” he says. “The education system too…” He pauses. He reflects on memories which quickened his acclimatisation process. “While in Sheffield, I really enjoyed playing pool. Not snooker, that’s more difficult! But also I was very surprised at how many Chinese people were going to university in Sheffield and at how many shops and restaurants there are. It’s quite far from London but you don’t feel like you’re too far out! Everyone was very laid back.” His ascension to F1 came as something of a surprise. Three seasons spent with the Alpine Academy in F2 – with a 2021 finish of third his best showing – saw Alfa come calling. He scored a point on his F1 debut in Bahrain last March. His start was impressive. But then came Silverstone. “It definitely set me back,” Zhou says now, recalling the time his Alfa spun upside-down towards a barrier at the start of the British Grand Prix. Miraculous images with a miraculous outcome: Zhou barely had a graze on him. “It happens. I recovered quite quickly mentally. It was just a shame because I had some very good momentum, I’d twice been in Q3, but I had to have a recharge afterwards. It wasn’t too bad.” Zhou is not one to reminisce too much. Everything is possible for the Chinese driver with a slice of Sheffield inside him. Audi’s arrival in less than three years is “still so far away.” However, he does admit: “Hopefully I can stay when Audi come.” But that’s in the distant future. For now, it’s on to this weekend and the twists and turns of Marina Bay. Read More Alfa Romeo confirm driver line-up for 2024 F1 season Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen tells Toto Wolff to focus on Mercedes after snipe Hamilton labels Marko’s comments about Perez ‘completely unacceptable’ Sebastian Vettel refuses to rule out return to Formula 1

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON In shallow waters about 242 million years ago, a strange marine reptile built unlike

A kind of refined beauty, made up of draped pearls, mod suits, and tiered frill, formed what we know to be Princess Diana’s bespoke wardrobe through the 80s, while a modern elegance juxtaposed with a bit of casuality took hold of her 90s apparel. In general, the icon, famed for her charitable actions and discernible humility, inadvertently left a lasting impression as the archetype for understated luxury, and Elizabeth Debicki’s renewed role as the “people’s princess” in season six of the Netflix special The Crown, captures that very sentiment. Back with the first four of the final episodes, The Crown has offered a fictionalised behind-the-scenes take on the royal family’s history from Queen Elizabeth assuming the throne in season one all the way up to Princess Diana’s devastating death in season six. And though the actors’ portrayals of each figure are meant to leave stylised impressions of their personalities, their costumes have left viewers with an all-too-realistic picture. Amy Roberts and Sidonie Roberts, the show’s wardrobe designer duo, have worked to fit each actor in garments representative of emblem outfits seen on the royals over the years – Debicki’s assumption of Diana being markedly authentic. The Roberts pair did not fault in the first half of season six, which released on 16 November, dressing Debicki in identical replicas of Diana’s ensembles in the summer of 1997. In the first episode, Diana is pictured on holiday in St Tropez. The Catherine Walker red dress seen on the actual royal on that very same trip is extremely similar to the one seen on Debicki. Between the high, square neckline – very depictive of 90s style – and the double, gold buckle waist belt, Debicki’s costume is almost an exact match for the Walker original, with the exception of the fabric shade. Diana’s was a more of a coral red with a hint of orange to make the hue a less potent ruby. However, in the show, the sophisticated shift garment is pinker. But the massive gold clip-on earrings worn by Debicki look exactly like the real ones. Because the season majorily recounts Diana’s time in the Mediterranean with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, just before her untimely death, Amy and Sidonie were tasked with dressing Debicki in the many one-piece swimsuits Diana wore that summer. “There were lots of swimsuits on Diana this year,” Sidonie told Harper’s Bazaar ahead of the release. “She’s wearing them for four episodes – in fact, the majority of her outfits on her rail for this season were swimsuits.” Diana’s actual leopard print halter-neck, made by Gottex Swimwear, was re-released by the company, therefore allowing the show’s costume to be the exact style and design seen on her. But of Diana’s more illustrious waterproof wear, was her low-back light blue suit worn on Fayed’s yacht. Not only did Debicki favour this particular one-piece out of all her wardrobe changes throughout season six, but the designer pair were especially determined to do the bodysuit justice – which they did. “That blue swimsuit is so iconic,” Sidonie remarked. “That image of her, what we call ‘walking the plank’ and sitting at the end there, it’s so iconic that I think for an actor when they’re in that, it makes them feel completely in their character.” Each swimsuit seen on Debicki in season six came from Gottex as Diana donned the brand repeatedly. On shooting in the shimmery, aqua-coloured piece, Debicki noted: “There was just something about that swimsuit and recreating that moment that felt very sacred and important, and it was very important we got it right.” “It’s as close as possible to the real imagery and yet what I get to do as an actress, kind of enter into that space, which all the things around it feel so accurate, and then I get to discover what’s emotionally in that moment,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. The first four episodes of The Crown season six are now available to watch on Netflix. Read More How Princess Diana’s The Crown season six outfits compare to her actual wardrobe Fans react to most ‘heartbreaking’ scene in The Crown What’s fact and what’s fiction on The Crown season 6? The story of Dodi Fayed - Princess Diana’s last partner The story of Kelly Fisher, Dodi Fayed’s model ‘fiancé’ he dated alongside Diana Did Princess Diana really confront the paparazzi in Saint-Tropez?

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