"I should maybe come on Friday night" - Valtteri Bottas jokes about Alfa Romeo's free practice woes while claiming 'a trouble-free weekend' is crucial for the team
Valtteri Bottas is looking forward to a trouble-free weekend at the 2022 Azerbaijan GP and hopes to exploit his Alfa Romeo’s true potential. The Finn has been frustrated with his team’s endless woes in free practice sessions in the last few races, which severely compromised his race preparations.
Hence, heading to Baku, he jokingly offered to arrive at the team’s garage well after pre-practice to ensure that he doesn't have to go through the car issues. Speaking on the team’s preview for the Azerbaijan GP, Bottas said:
“Baku is a place with both good and bad memories for me, so I hope to add some more of the pleasant kind this weekend. I told Fred [Vasseur, team principal] already that for Baku I should maybe come on Friday night.”
#AzerbaijanGP
Track walks in Baku. 🇦🇿👌 #AzerbaijanGP https://t.co/aE1fHRrfR9
Having moved to Alfa Romeo from Mercedes over the winter, Valtteri Bottas has settled in well over at his new team. The 10-time F1 race winner is proving to be a valuable asset to the Hinwil-based team, having taken up the mantle of team leader and guided them through the new regulations.
Bottas has often proven to be a thorn in the side of the front runners this season, owing to Alfa Romeo’s impressive pace. In the first few races, in particular, he had the upper hand over his former team and managed to secure decent finishing positions.
Over the last few races, however, recurring reliability issues have hampered his ability to set up the car and get in a groove around the track before the start of competitive sessions. This has left the Finn on the back foot, often with poor qualifying results compromising his race.
Ahead of Baku, Bottas is hoping the team will get on top of their issues, paving the way for a smoother weekend. He felt that it was crucial to have a good Friday to ensure great results over the weekend, saying:
“It’s crucial we can have a trouble-free weekend. We have been having some good results despite some Friday issues so far and if we were to fix these, we could really see the full potential of our package.”
Valtteri Bottas wants Alfa Romeo to be ready to exploit chaos at the Baku GP
Valtteri Bottas has called for Alfa Romeo to be prepared to make the most of the opportunities arising from the inevitable “chaos” at the Azerbaijan GP.
Bottas is confident that the team can battle for positions at the sharp end of the grid and has called for his team to have their wits about them during the race. Speaking on the team’s preview for the Azerbaijan GP, he said:
“We know we can fight towards the front when we do it and it has to be the aim here as well. This is a track that can produce some chaotic races, so we will need to be ready to make the most of any opportunity. It could be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
From P3 to P2 for @ValtteriBottas right on the finish line in Baku 🏁
He passes @lance_stroll with metres to spare 😯
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Chaos in previous races around Baku has both favored and disadvantaged Valtteri Bottas. In 2017, he narrowly beat Lance Stroll’s Williams to clinch P2, while the following year debris from another car sent him to the back of the grid.