Valtteri Bottas: “We just need to keep pushing for any opportunity to score”

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s Valtteri Bottas said he is “hungry” for more points after taking tenth at the Italian Grand Prix, and hopes that the new upgrades coming through from the factory can help the team move forward. 

The Finnish driver said that the points result at the team’s home race was a source of motivation after a run of tough weekends. The outfit has not cracked the top ten since the Canadian Grand Prix. 

“It was good to get back into the points in Monza: we all needed that, after a few difficult races, and being at our home Grand Prix with the support of our colleagues on the grandstands made it even more special.”

“A point, however, is not enough, and I am hungry for more: we still have eight races to go before the end of the season, and we will push until the very end to achieve our targets.”

With the Singapore Grand Prix up next, Bottas said that the “unique” Marina Bay Circuit will be a challenge for the drivers, being a twisty track with minimal run-off. He looks forward to testing out the new package, which he expects will help the team regain some ground. 

“Singapore is a unique track, and both the weather conditions and it being a street track make it even more challenging. We are set to bring a new package this weekend, which should help us make an extra step forward, and I am looking forward to testing it on track. 

“The team back at the factory is working really hard to improve our car and we just need to keep pushing for any opportunity to score.”

“It was good for the team to be back in the top ten in Monza” – Zhou Guanyu

Team-mate Zhou Guanyu considers Singapore to be the closest he gets to a home race on this calendar, having received “amazing” support from fans in Marina Bay last year. He said his focus will not waver, however, with on-track performance being the top priority. 

“Singapore is the closest to a home race for me this season and that makes it a special race. Last year, the support from fans on the grandstands was amazing: I will also be joined by family and friends trackside, but the focus is firmly on doing well on track. 

The Chinese driver said that Bottas’ tenth place result is evidence of the team’s ability to achieve the goals they set out for each weekend. 

“It was good for the team to be back in the top ten in Monza: this is proof we still have it on us to do well, and that we can keep pushing for our stated objectives.” 

Since Zhou had his 2022 campaign cut short after a tangle with Nicholas Latifi, he is motivated to close out his “unfinished business” in Singapore with a good result. As well, he hopes that the upgrade being brought this weekend will be beneficial in Marina Bay and the races to come, with a string of flyaway events offering opportunities to make steps forward. 

“I have some unfinished business in Singapore after last year’s race in which I was taken out: it would be great to do well here and bring more points to the team. We have new parts coming this weekend, and they’ll hopefully allow us to make that extra step to challenge our competitors: with eight races left, including three Sprint events, we still have many chances to add more points to our tally and move up in the standings.”

Credit: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake