As part of a wide-ranging interview ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Zhou told mahbx.com of his res♌pect and admiration for Hamilton, who he branded as “one of the greatest in the history of motorsport”. 

“The way he was dealing with the pressures, is insa🐽ne,” Zhou co🐎ntinued. 

“I feel like what Lewis experienced in some stages, I experienced at the beginning of the year before the first race. So I can feel how tough he went through it. He’s been through that while he was fighting for several F1 titles.

“For me, I know I’m not going to be fighting for the title, maybe to score points get the best out of my car. So bi🍒g respect to him. 

“Especially in F1, the hardest competi꧂tion, to be winning seven years is crazy. Doesn’t matter if you have the best car,꧂ still winning is not easy.” 

While Hamilton has not given any of his secrets⭕ to success away, Zhou revealed the Briton offered his congratulations after he marked his F1 debut with points in Bahrain. 

Hamilton was also seen checking in with Zhou during Thursday’s media duties in Austria, days after Zhou surv♏ived a terrifying airborne crash at the British Grand ꦜPrix. 

“He 🥀congratulated mඣe after Bahrain and we sometimes stay in touch,” Zhou said. 

“Not knowing him for long, I think it’s the first time I’ve ♉actually got to know him, this year. Obviously advice he wouldn’t give me, because it’s a competition. 

“But he’s been very much oꦺn my side, and he knows what I’ve been through, becau🃏se it’s kind of similar.”

Hamilton has often faced criticism about his support for diversity and equality. A powerful and leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement, Ha🦹milton has regularly challe𒁏nged his own sport and fellow drivers to do more in recent years. 

Zhou, who was subjected to online abuse and racist comments pr🦩ior to his rookie F1 season, says he can understand the difficulties Hamilton has had to go through.

“I feel like I’ve experienced what he experienced may🐠be two years ago, when he was standing out and getting all the racist comments, especially last year,” he explained. 

"I was experiencing 📖last year at the same ti꧂me but kind of in a different area of our career, so these things are similar. At least this year I think both of us can be showing people what we deserve. 

“I think F1 is a b༒ig family sport, so to have everyone understanding that and to be positive about everything, is the right way to be going forward. 

“Lewis is the leader of the drivers, trying to lead the ⛎sport into a better future, which has the respect of all the drivers.” 

Zhou shares Hamilton✤’s passion for fashion and says the Mercedes driver’s flamboyant s🐼tyle has helped him feel comfortable in expressing himself in the F1 paddock. 

“It’s been great in the last few years watching Lewis showing a different style in the paddock,” he sཧaid. 

“This year I’ve been trying to show the stuff I usually like to wear in the paddock. In the past, maybe 𝓡20 years ago, racing drivers were just about racing. We still have our enjoyable personal stuff to do and to be showing that on Thursdays, I think it’s great. 

“Obviously he was the first one to be open in that way and it wasn’t easy. I fully remember the first time he did that. A lot of people were♛ saying ‘why is he wearing that?’ and I was one of the guys who liked his fashioꦏn sense. 

“When I ൩arrived in F1, I just really wanted to be myself, either on track or off꧂ track, so that was what I tried to do. It’s great that now we have more people using their own clothes in the paddock.” 

And ꦉZhou plans🥂 to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps by launching his own clothing line. 

“That’s definitely on the plan in t♓he future,” he added. "Because I really want to make my own brand in the future, just purely fashion designing stuff.”