Valtteri Bottas is gearing up for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, and while it promises to be an exciting and challenging race, Bottas has demanded that the team need to make rapid improvements to maximise their performance this weekend. This will be the second year that the Miami Grand Prix is held, and Bottas will be looking to make his mark after a poor showing in Azerbaijan.
Bottas admitted that Baku was a disappointing weekend for himself and Alfa Romeo F1 Team STAKE, but with the race weekends now coming thick and fast, the Finnish driver is hoping that Miami gives them a perfect opportunity to bounce back.
“Baku was definitely not our weekend, but we have taken some lessons from it and we have moved on to a new race week. I am glad to be back in Miami, I have good memories from last year’s inaugural race and the welcome we received here in Florida.”
Bottas has demanded that the team make improvements but ensured that they remain motivated and confident in their abilities to turn around their poor start to the 2023 season.
“We need to make a rapid improvement in terms of performance, maximising the different track we’ll have this week. We are as motivated as ever: it may seem tough right now, but there are still many races ahead, and we are all keen on doing the very best.
“I am looking forward to being back behind the wheel this weekend, feeling confident and ready for a new challenge.”
Guanyu Zhou – “I am even more motivated to bring home a good result for the team”
Credit: xpbimages.com / Alfa Romeo F1 Team
It was also a bad weekend for Guanyu Zhou in Baku, and he is hoping that the team can bounce back this weekend in Miami. Zhou will be targeting his second points of the finish, with his only one so far being in the chaotic Australian Grand Prix.
The Miami circuit is a challenging one, with a mix of high-speed straights and tight corners and Zhou is hoping he has better luck this year, after he failed to finish at last year’s Miami Grand Prix. The Chinese driver has said that he is even more motivated to bring home a good result for the team after his performance at this circuit last season.
“It’s a new race week, and we will have new opportunities after what hasn’t been the best event for us in Baku. I have unfinished business from last year’s race in Miami, therefore I am even more motivated to bring home a good result for the team.
“We expected more from these first few races, that is for sure, but we are determined to keep pushing and give everything to get back to where we need to be. We have seen how tight the gaps are this year, and how tenths and hundredths can make the difference.”
Zhou reiterated that he keeps faith in the team despite a tough start to the season and he is confident they will make a step forward soon.
We have it in us: we saw results coming in when we performed well. Everyone in the team is working hard, and I am confident we will soon make the step forward we are aiming for.”