Valtteri Bottas: We must take a step forward in Japan

Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou are cautiously optimistic about the team’s prospects in Suzuka. Alfa Romeo drivers believe that the car’s potential allows it to count on points, but for this it is necessary to demonstrate maximum performance from the start of the weekend.

Valtteri Bottas: “I’m looking forward to returning to Suzuka this weekend. This is my favorite song and I have a lot of fond memories of it, especially in 2019 when I won. The atmosphere at the track is incredible and the fans are loyal and fantastic.

The weekend in Singapore proved to be quite difficult for the team, but the positive aspects include learning a lot about new products, which should help us take a step forward in Japan. We have seen our direct competitors making progress recently and must set ourselves a similar goal.

The team has a chance to earn points and move up in the Constructors’ Championship. It must start with the nearest race. I am confident that we will succeed if we prepare well and maximize the potential of new products.”

Guanyu Zhou: “The race weekend in Singapore was difficult from start to finish, although the race was not bad. We didn’t earn any points, but we showed good speed after starting from the pit lane. All these indicators give confidence ahead of some tough races.

With the race ahead in Japan, which will conclude the Asian double-header series, I look forward to getting back on track and continuing to work on unlocking the full potential of the new products. We expect to be able to take a step forward because the track configuration suits our car better.

As usual, we are talking about hundredths of a second, which can affect track position. We have to show high speed from Friday and get the most out of the car. This will allow us to perform better in qualifying and fight for higher positions in the race.”