Alfa Romeo F1 team suffer major issue with BOTH cars during Monza FP1

Italian Grand Prix

F1 team suffer major issue with BOTH cars during Monza FP1

It was not the best of starts to the weekend for the F1 team

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 1 September 2023 14:18 Updated: 14:43

Alfa Romeo have suffered serious issues with both of their cars, after Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas failed to leave the pit-lane at the start of FP1 at Monza.

Both Zhou and Bottas tried to head out in the early minutes of practice, but were hampered as the anti-stall on both cars kicked in, sending them back into their respective garages.

Both cars did eventually manage to get out of the garage and complete a few laps, yet it didn't take long before Bottas still complained about issues with his car.

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"The car is undrivable," the Finnish driver said over the team radio, as Alfa Romeo brought him back in to undergo further work.

Issues for Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo will boast an impressive new look at Monza

This is a track where Italian-based team will be hoping to impress their home fans after what has been a difficult 2023 so far.

There is less pressure on them to perform as there is Ferrari at Monza, who will be expected by the Tifosi to get onto the podium.

Nevertheless, both Bottas and Zhou will be looking to achieve their best performances of the season, especially with Zhou's seat still not confirmed for 2024.

The team are currently languishing down in ninth in the constructors' championship, while their drivers are sat in 15th and 16th respectively after the first 13 races of the season.

Thankfully for the team, both Bottas and Zhou later confirmed on team radio that the car is 'better', as they attempted to get as many laps in as possible before the end of the session.