Whilst pleased with the improved performance during the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, Frédéric Vasseur feels his Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN outfit have left points on the table, mainly down to reliability issues with its C42-Ferrari.
Alfa Romeo are fielding an all-new line-up in 2022 with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu having replaced Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi, and they currently sit sixth in the Constructors’ Championship heading into the final nine races of the season with fifty-one points, a significant improvement on what they were able to achieve across the past two campaigns.
However, only twice throughout the season have they scored points with both cars in the same race, and it has now been four races since either Bottas or Zhou broke into the top ten on race day.
Bottas has retired three times due to mechanical issues so far this season in Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and Hungary, while Zhou has failed to see the chequered flag on five occasions, the most recent being the French Grand Prix.
Vasseur, the Team Principal at Alfa Romeo, says it is a shame that the team have not scored more points than they have as they feel they should be involved in the battle for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship with the McLaren F1 Team and BWT Alpine F1 Team.
“I think we did a step forward. We did a good step in terms of pure performance, due to the different factors,” Vasseur is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.
“As always, it’s never one thing. I think the Ferrari engine did a step forward. We did the same job on the chassis side also. And I think that Valtteri and Zhou are performing. Altogether, it’s a good step.
“Now, in terms of results, we had also some issues in terms of reliability. This cost us a fortune in terms of points, some events we were in very good shape, like Jeddah or Silverstone, and on some occasions with Zhou also.
“This is a real shame for us, and for the championship. But it is like it is, and we just have to fix it for the second part of the season.”
