Valtteri Bottas: “There is a growing sense of confidence in the team”

Valtteri Bottas is eager to continue his strong early season form this weekend in the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, with the Finn having scored points in every race he has finished so far in 2022.

Bottas currently has twenty-four points to his name from the opening four race weekends, and it should have been even more having retired late in the day from a top six placing in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 

His most recent result saw him finishing fifth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with Bottas shadowing his replacement in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, George Russell, right to the chequered flag.

The Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN driver is excited to race in the United States again this weekend, with the Miami International Autodrome hosting its first race, and he is eager to break into the top ten once more.

“I am really excited about racing in Miami,” said Bottas. “I just spent some days in the US, visiting friends and cycling with my partner, and I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere: I am sure the race in Florida will be an incredible show as America has got us used to.

“The track seems quite cool, with good overtaking opportunities and the potential for some fun racing: I think the layout designers did a good job on paper and hopefully this will be the case in reality when we hit the track.

“We arrive in Miami knowing we can have another good weekend: we scored points in every race we finished so far and we want to continue this strong moment. There is a growing sense of confidence in the team, we know we can do well on every track and it’s in our hands to go out there and deliver the goods.”

“I start for the first time on the same level as everyone else” – Zhou Guanyu

With the Miami track being new to everyone, it means that for the first time in 2022, Zhou Guanyu will arrive at a venue with the same experience as everyone else, and the Chinese driver is eager for a return to the points.

Zhou scored a point on debut in Bahrain but has failed to do so since, although he has been close in every race.  His worst finish of the season so far was fifteenth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, although he was compromised after starting from the pit lane following a crash with Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly in the Sprint race on Saturday.

He knows that results will come if he continues to put the hard work in, but he hopes to be rewarded with a top ten finish in Miami this Sunday.

“Miami is a good opportunity to get back on track and continue our good work,” said Zhou. “I am happy with the progression I have done so far and I want to keep growing – and bring home more points.

“I have been close to or in the top ten in most of the races so far, so we are heading in the right direction: I am in no hurry and I know I need to keep putting in the hard work, then the results will come.

“The track in Miami is, of course, new for me, even though I have driven it in the simulator: however, it’s a new track for everyone so, in this regard, I start for the first time on the same level as everyone else.

“As always, we will need to maximise every session in the run-up to qualifying, making sure we get the most out of our car: I am confident we can have another strong showing this weekend.”

Zhou Guanyu is aiming to return to the points in Miami – Credit: Joao Filipe / DPPI