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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 Eric Cox WAYNE, Michigan Hundreds of people, including auto workers on the night shift and their supporters,

H&M’s revenue growth unexpectedly ground to a halt as the Swedish retailer raised prices even amid increasing competition

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Olly Alexander is "in shock and disbelief" at being immortalised in wax, with his likeness set to be unveiled at Madame Tussauds London next month.

By Laurie Chen and Xiaoyu Yin TONGCHUAN, China Construction worker Shi Tieniu bought a presale apartment in an

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Sweden celebrates the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf's reign with pomp and circumstance on Friday and Saturday, with a gala banquet, street parties...

Fashion icons joined Hollywood stars and British royalty to celebrate the first Vogue World event at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Thursday night (14 September). Billed as London’s answer to the Met Gala, the star-studded extravaganza was helmed by legendary American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and featured a live performance overseen by Billy Elliot and The Crown director Stephen Daldry, as well as a dramatic catwalk show spotlighting British labels on the eve of London Fashion Week. The “multi-act celebration of the British performing arts” aimed to raise money for a variety of arts institutions including the Royal Ballet, the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House. Sienna Miller was among the stars to walk the red carpet outside the Theatre Royal, wearing a striking ivory two-piece by Schiaparelli couture which showed off her baby bump. It was revealed last month that the 41-year-old actor, who is already mother to 10-year-old daughter Marlowe, is expecting her second child. The Anatomy of a Scandal star later swapped the ensemble, which consisted of a crop top and puff-ball skirt, for a red tartan set when she took to the stage alongside fellow actors including Damian Lewis, Cush Jumbo, James Corden and James McAvoy. Princess Eugenie was also photographed on the red carpet wearing a green gown by Fendi, marking her first public appearance since welcoming her second child, a son named Ernest, in May. Her older sister Princess Beatrice opted for a floral dress by London-based designer Richard Quinn. This choice of gown choice surely had special significance for the royal: in 2018, Quinn received the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design from the princesses’ late grandmother, who also attended one of his London Fashion Week catwalk shows that year. The dress code for the event was “opening night”, with invitations featuring a West End stage enveloped in dramatic red curtains. Many of the stars in attendance pushed fashion boundaries on the red carpet, with Queen & Slim actor Jodie Turner-Smith wearing a revealing Viktor & Rolf creation made up of a statement satin bow, opera gloves and matching underwear. Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan added some drama to proceedings with an eye-catching black and gold headpiece, paired with a black off-the-shoulder gown by designer of the moment Harris Reed , who unveiled his latest collection on Wednesday night (13 September). Simone Ashley, Coughlan’s co-star on Netflix’s hit Regency romance, opted for bejewelled net couture dress by Tamara Ralph with a white bodysuit underneath, while presenter and model Alexa Chung wore a Sixties-inspired two-piece from Nicklas Skovgaard, made up of shorts and a crop top, finishing off the look with a matching feather headpiece. I May Destroy You writer and actress Michaela Coel opted for a structured leather-look blazer, seemingly tapping into the trend for wearing knickers as outerwear, first seen on the Miu Miu catwalk in March. Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan sparkled in a dark silver Louis Vuitton strapless dress, with her hair in a sleek updo and a red lip, while Kate Winslet kep things low-key in a slouchy cream suit with a beige underwear-style top underneath. Model Poppy Delevingne, designer Stella McCartney and Promising Young Woman actress Carey Mulligan posed together on the red carpet, with Delevingne’s pink dress providing a pop of colour amid McCartney and Mulligan’s understated black gowns. The blockbuster show opened with model Kate Moss walking across the stage, and closed with the appearance of four of the “original supers”: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, who recently reunited to appear on the cover of Vogue . New Apple TV+ docuseries The Super Models, due to be released on 20 September, will alsochart their rise to global fame. The second annual event followed a New York edition held in 2022, and celebrated music, theatre and fashion at the beginning of London Fashion Week (September 15-19). It saw musical performances from FKA Twigs, Stormzy and Annie Lennox, along with a Shakespearean monologue from actress Sophie Okonedo. Fashion was front and centre, with models including Jourdan Dunn, Ashley Graham, Emily Ratajkowski and Cara Delevingne wearing creations from designer labels including Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen and more. Flying the flag for sustainable fashion were singer Rita Ora, model Twiggy and TikTok star Wisdom Kaye. All were wearing pre-loved fashion and accessories from eBay: Ora in a timeless black strapless dress, Twiggy in a red velvet suit and Kaye in wide-legged white trousers and a navy coat. Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams wore experimental brand Maison Margiela, donning a black mini dress with a Peter Pan collar and cut-off sheer tights. Read More Everything we know about Vogue World, London’s answer to the Met Gala Sienna Miller is the face of M&S’s new autumn collection – and it’s sure to sell out Sienna Miller is having a baby with someone 15 years her junior – good for her Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

A stargazer who thought he’d made the discovery of a lifetime was brought down to Earth with a bump when a crater apparently left by a meteorite was revealed to be nothing more than a hole dug by beach-goers. Astrophysics enthusiast Dave Kennedy was over the moon when the hole, several feet wide and deep, appeared in north Dublin. He felt sure that a small, black, heavy rock found at the bottom of the hole was an asteroid from outer space, and contacted various astronomy experts in an effort to confirm his theory. He said a scorch mark on one side of the rock showed the angle at which it had fallen. “Only a month ago, I was watching a documentary from Nasa on exactly what we’re looking at so when I looked at it and saw how uniform it is, and the vast crater, I knew immediately I was looking at an impact site,” he said. Visitors to the Portmarnock beach gathered to inspect the crater. One said: “We’re down here quite a lot and never seen anything like this before, so it’s pretty spectacular.” However, Mr Kennedy’s optimism was short-lived. Within a day of his appearance on Virgin Media News, a “context note” on X (formerly Twitter) compiled from user information read: “It is in fact not a cosmic event - instead it was dug out the day before by 2 lads with a beach spade.” Footage on social media posted by friends of the young men showed them sitting in the hole, digging it out with children’s spades, and was captioned: “The hole we dug on Saturday”. Although the astronomy enthusiast was widely mocked, he said he would still have the rock analysed in the hope it wasn’t a “completely fruitless discovery”, Virgin Media News reported. Research on the chances of asteroids hitting Earth has focused on much larger rocks. Astronomers say Earth probably will not be struck by an object 1km wide (0.6 miles) for at least 1,000 years – but they have not ruled out smaller meteorites landing before then. Read More 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite sheds light on early solar system – study Best beach stays in the UK and Ireland for a peaceful break in 2023 Ukraine war: Kyiv ‘is pushing Russia back’, UK’s most senior military officer says War-blinded Ukrainian soldier cries with joy at new love at his wedding Ukraine ‘holds initiative’ in counteroffensive against Russia, says UK military chief

A rare meeting between Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un at a space launch center in the Russian Far East earlier this week has triggered alarm from countries from South Korea and Japan to Ukraine, the United States and its partners in Europe.