China's F1 rookie eyes improvements as excitement builds around Alfa Romeo star following flying start to season

Just two races into his debut Formula 1 season, Zhou Guanyu already has the look of an accomplished veteran behind the wheel in the pinnacle of motor sport.

After an expectation-defying 10th-place finish in the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, Zhou produced another impressive drive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, finishing 11th despite incurring penalties.

Little wonder then that the 22-year-old Alfa Romeo driver is looking to future races expecting to spring more surprises.

"I'm very confident. In the opening race, I accomplished my two goals for the season, which is testimony to my hard work in preseason, especially how I've gelled with the team," Zhou told China Daily in an exclusive interview on Monday.

"Although we had some setbacks in Saudi Arabia, overall the team is in a really good place, the atmosphere is great, and we keep moving in the right direction.

"But we can't afford to be complacent. This is a long season, and we need to keep making improvements to make our car go faster and faster, ultimately so we can have better results."