Alfa Romeo boss gives his take on the team's driver duo
F1 News
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Alfa Romeo's team representative, in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, gave his take on both Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas and their current contract situation for the Swiss team, who will take on the Sauber name from next season.
The Spanish sports newspaper hints at a longer stay for Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, although Bravi himself is less outspoken. "Our two drivers are the main pillars of the team. We would like to give them a competitive car," said Alunni Bravi. Valtteri Bottas came in as the main driver, with the Finn having scored as many as ten wins at Mercedes, and came to Alfa Romeo with a lot of experience to his name. "He has a lot of experience in Formula 1 and remains a key part of our car development and team development."
But the question looms as to whether Bottas is still the right man for the team. The Finnish driver finished 19th in Spain with his Alfa Romeo, whereas teammate Zhou Guanyu cleverly picked up two points. Slowly, the Chinese driver seems to be emerging as the leader of the Swiss team, while Bottas' performance is slipping.
'A nice mix'
China's Guanyu Zhou regularly puts the Finn in the lead, and after seven races, both men have tallied four points. "Guanyu was a rookie last year," states the team representative. "He immediately showed he could be very competitive and grew every weekend. This year too, he has taken another step." As a result, the duo is a good fit for the Swiss racetrack. "We have a mix of experience and talent. That is our strength this year, and we would like to continue giving the team stability, but the priority now is to improve the car."