Valtteri Bottas: “Since I joined, I have seen so much motivation within this team”

Valtteri Bottas admitted to being impressed by the new Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN 2022 car, the C42, despite an underwhelming first pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Finn made the switch from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team during the off-season to replace his retiring countryman Kimi Räikkönen, and he is excited to see what lies ahead with his new team after the unveiling of the C42 on Sunday.

The C42 is the latest design to come out of Hinwil, and is the first designed to the new aero regulations that came into effect in 2022, and Bottas was pleased with how the car looked when the true paint work was unveiled to the world.

“I am impressed by our new car, the C42,” said Bottas.  “I think the livery is really beautiful, the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile did a brilliant job.

“It’s my first car at Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, of course, which makes it special, and I am really looking forward to being on the grid in Bahrain with it.”

Bottas admits some of the excitement lies in the fact that no one really knows how the opening round of the season in Bahrain will unfold next month, although he feels Alfa Romeo are slightly on the back foot after a less than productive test in Spain.

However, despite the lack of laps in the test, Bottas was delighted to see so much motivation within the team, something he believes will help them grow as an outfit throughout 2022.

“What is exciting is that we have no idea how that first race is going to pan out,” he said.  “Testing helped us confirm our expectations of where we stand, the progress we have made with the car, but now we are getting closer to the moment that really matters.

“Since I joined, I have seen so much motivation within this team: everyone is pushing a lot, trying to work harder than the others to be competitive, and that in turn gives me that extra boost when I am in the cockpit.”