Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN driver Valtteri Bottas reflects on his first season with the team as he prepares for the final race of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season in Abu Dhabi.
Last time out in Brazil, Bottas finished in ninth place securing the team some much needed points as they currently sit in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, five points ahead of their nearest rivals.
After a season of ups and downs for Alfa Romeo, Bottas and the team will be hoping that they can pick up more points at the Yas Marina Circuit to clinch that sixth place in the championship, a result which would mark a massive step forward for the team from previous years.
“The 2022 season wraps up in Abu Dhabi: it’s been a busy year, and I am glad to be getting some well deserved time off with my family and friends soon. My first year with the team has been really good, with a strong start and a slightly more challenging second part of the season, but overall above expectations.”
“I am glad to have started this journey with the team and I am confident about the future. The points we scored in recent races recently gave us a further advantage on our closest championship rivals, but we still have a job to finish: we showed strong pace last week in Brazil, which lets us head to Abu Dhabi with confidence.”
“I quite enjoy this track, where I finished on the podium twice in the recent years and won in 2017; we have one more chance to do well this weekend, both for us and the team back at base in Hinwil, and we’ll do our best to nail that and finish our season on a high. Carrying this
momentum into the winter would be the best way to head into the break.”
Zhou Guanyu: “It feels like the whole 12 months just flew by, what a year it has been”
Zhou Guanyu reflected on his first season in Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo as he prepares for his final race of his rookie season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Last weekend in Brazil, Zhou narrowly missed out on a points finish as he came across the line in twelfth place. The rookie driver has picked up a total of six points in his first season for the team and will be hoping to score some more in his final race of his first season in F1.
The Chinese driver has had success in Abu Dhabi in Formula 2, achieving a couple of podiums at this circuit in the past. This should give him a confidence boost going into the race weekend as Alfa Romeo look to secure sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“My rookie season is coming to an end this week, and in some ways, it feels like the whole 12 months just flew by. What a year it has been! It’s safe to say I grew a lot over the course of the year, both as a driver and as a person, and I’m just looking forward to seeing what more we can achieve with the team next year.”
“The team made me feel at home from the start and everyone, starting from Fred, the engineering team and Valtteri but including everyone trackside and in Hinwil, has played a big role in making me grow race after race. I’ve enjoyed this journey so far and I am keen to have one final good result this year to repay the team of this first season together.”
“I have quite enjoyed racing in Abu Dhabi in the past, having also been on the podium a couple of times in Formula 2. Our pace in Brazil was strong, and it was a bit of a shame not having managed to fully take advantage of that, but I am heading into the final race weekend of the year feeling motivated to give it all out there and help the team closing the deal on sixth place in the championship.”
