Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo "over-motivated" for 2022 opportunity

Will Alfa Romeo climb the standings next season?

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Wednesday 25 August 2021 11:49

Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur believes the team's "over motivated" workforce are making "good improvements ahead of F1's new era in 2022.

The Swiss-Italian team is on the back foot ahead of the second half of the current campaign having fallen behind Williams in the race for eighth in the constructors' standings.

With new aerodynamic regulations changing the face of F1 next year, Vasseur is eager for the new opportunities that come with the shake-up.

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"I don't want to say that I'm like the kid, but I have a weekly meeting with the aero guys and I don't think I was as excited 30 years ago when I was going to the first race at the beginning of the Formula Renault season in the French championship," said Vasseur in an interview with GPFans Global.

"I think that the motivation is mega huge, I have also a great thing to work with a group of people over-motivated and this is the mega huge push.

"I can see every single week during the aero meeting that we are making good improvements. I can see the motivation in the eyes of the guys in front of me and this is the best for them to be motivated."

2022 a "real opportunity" for Alfa Romeo

With the cost cap entering its second year next season, teams that run on a smaller budget will be able to continue building up to the resource limit whilst the bigger teams will be finishing their reduction phase.

Vasseur is aiming to take advantage of this to climb up the grid.

Asked how much of an opportunity the new regulations provided, Vasseur replied: "The momentum is the perfect one.

"We have a complete change of regulation, and at the same time you have the cost cap regulations.

"So far we are a bit below the cost cap, but I hope that from next year we will be at the cost gap.

"It means that we are still in the improvement phase of the company, when the majority of the teams, they have to reduce their structure.

"For us, this is a real opportunity. The fact that Alfa Romeo renewed the deal, is also a huge push. This kind of signal for us is very important."