Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN has unveiled their challenger for the 2021 season – the C41 – which will be the third Formula 1 car that Antonio Giovinazzi has driven in as many years with the Swiss-based team. This year could potentially be a make or break year for the Italian, with some last season calling for him to lose his seat, so Giovinazzi has plenty to prove ahead of his third season in Formula 1.
Giovinazzi is well rested after the winter break and is ready for the season ahead. He has trained hard over the break and feels well prepared for the many challenges that the upcoming season will inevitably throw at him.
“The winter went quickly, and I am really looking forward to the new season. This will be my third season with the team, I am very happy to continue our history together. Of course, we know it may once again be a tricky one, but I am confident the hard work we all did during the winter in the factory will pay off. On my side, I have trained very hard and I am just looking forward to be in the car for the first test and then finally for the first race.”
Antonio feels a better driver now having two seasons of Formula 1 under his belt, and is aiming high for what he wants to achieve with Alfa Romeo. Although he admits that his performance this year is dependant on the speed of the C41, the Italian is very confident that this year will be a successful venture for the Swiss-based team.
“Having two full seasons with the team means that I already know much better the people around me, so that our work can be better,” said Antonio. “Of course, the target is still the same: scoring a lot of points together. My dream would be to score a podium with this team, that would be at the top of our list, but first we need to see where we are in terms of performance and speed. I am confident that we can do very well this year.”
The winter break was an unusually short one with the season ending in mid-December but Giovinazzi acknowledges that this is the same for everyone and feels well prepared ahead of the season.
He explained:“Last season ended in the middle of December, so the winter break was really short. This means we had less time to prepare, both the car and myself as well, but in the end it was the same for everyone. We just need to be as prepared as we can when it comes to the first race.”
As well as spending time with his family and loved ones over the much needed winter break, Giovinazzi has managed to put in plenty of hours to improve physically and is confident that he will reap the rewards of his efforts out on track.
“Of course, the winter break is the time when you can see your family and spend time with them, especially after such a busy season as last year; I also managed to do a lot of physical work with my personal trainer, cycling a lot and also in the gym.” He added. “Right now, with the restrictions brought on by COVID, that was not as easy as it would normally be, but I think I have done the best job possible in these circumstances. Now the track will tell!”
Giovinazzi may not have any specific targets ahead of the 2021 season but wants to keep improving and hitting higher heights: “Like every year, the target this season is to do as well as possible and score the maximum amount of points; as a driver, I want to keep improving, like I did last year compared with the first season, and do another step forward.
“As I have said before, scoring a podium would be the ultimate dream: it is what this team deserves.”
Even though there will only be three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, the stability of the team and the relative similarity of the regulations means that this is not too much of an issue and Giovinazzi and the team can focus on putting in as many laps as possible before the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
“We’ll only have three days for two drivers this year, that means just a day and a half for each of us. That won’t be easy but fortunately, because of the regulations and our team’s stability, we are in a good situation. The car will be quite similar to last year, so we can focus immediately on trying to do as many laps and collect as much data as we can and be ready in top shape for the first race.”
Fans of Antonio Giovinazzi will not need to wait long before they get to see the Italian driver in action on the 26th February at Alfa Romeo’s designated filming day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
