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Always Beyond

Witnessing the birth of a world champion

My name is Zhaoqi Zhu. I was born in 2012 to an ordinary family in the suburbs of Paris, France. Both my parents are Chinese, my father is a car enthusiast and has collected many model cars over the years.

When I was 7, my dad took me to karting for the first time, and I loved it. He signed me up for a training program ran by the Rosny93 Karting Club. After systematic learning and testing, I began practicing on my own at a local karting track near our home.

In 2021, I started competing in the Paris regional karting championship and went on to win the overall title that year. At the end of the season, I was lucky enough to attend the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Paris. In 2022, I received an invitation from the Mercedes F1 Team to visit their garage during the French Grand Prix, where I had the chance to meet my idol, Lewis Hamilton. That same year, I moved up to national-level races in France and finished as the overall runner-up.

In 2023, I stepped up to European-level competitions. After a solid season, I joined an Italian team at the end of the year and began racing in the WSK series—widely regarded as the highest level of karting. Throughout 2024, my results continued to improve steadily, and I finished 4th in the ROK World Final. In 2025, I moved up to the Junior category. The transition from the smaller chassis to the larger one has been smooth so far.

Meeting Lewis Hamilton at the Mercedes Factory

With Max Verstappen

FIA Award Ceremony

Looking back on five years of racing, it feels like an incredible journey—full of unexpected encounters and amazing opportunities. I'm thankful for all these lucky moments and the help of those around me, it would have been nearly impossible for me to do it on my own.