Shao Ziyan, seven years old, from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China, has astonished social media users with his passion for rally racing at such a young age.
His father stated that Shao Ziyan loved racing since he could walk. He started using a racing simulator at home at one year old. Noticing his son's talent, the father designed a smaller simulator for practice.
Shao Ziyan racing on ice in Heilongjiang in early March. Video: Douyin/Shao Ziyan
Later, his father bought him an electric go-kart. By two years old, Shao Ziyan told his father it was too slow. His father upgraded to a fuel-powered go-kart and enrolled him in professional training.
Shao Ziyan regularly watches international racing videos to learn skills from professional drivers. He even picked up techniques from the Japanese street racing anime, Initial D.
At four years old, Shao Ziyan ranked 30th globally in a simulation game. His father, a more experienced simulator player, ranked outside the top 3,000.
Shao Ziyan then began learning to drive rally cars and drove on ice for a total of 40 days. At five years old, the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China issued him a certificate, making him a professional rally driver.
His father commissioned a custom-built rally car, a used Suzuki Swift, costing over 200,000 yuan (approximately 30,000 USD). He mentioned their family background is modest, and he works as a freelance photographer in Beijing, with his job related to automobiles.
His savings and donations from Shao Ziyan's fans largely covered the modification costs. The boy has over one million followers on his social media accounts.
In early March, Shao Ziyan won a national rally race, becoming the world's youngest winner in a professional rally competition. His father is also training to obtain a professional driver's license to accompany his son on this journey.
Some questioned how minors could race automobiles. His father explained they tow the car to the racetrack because children are not allowed to drive on public roads. The total cost for vehicle modification and transport has exceeded 116,000 USD.
 |
Shao Ziyan and his father. Photo: Douyin
He also revealed his son's dream is to become the first Chinese driver to win the World Rally Championship (WRC).
"We are witnessing the birth of a racing prodigy", one social media user commented.
"Did the boy grow up drinking gasoline instead of milk?", another joked.
Rally racing, a sport originating in Europe in the early 20th century, was introduced to China in the 1980s. The best performance by a Chinese driver belongs to Han Wei, 53 years old, who finished in 8th position overall at the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
Hong Hanh (According to SCMP)
