Valtteri Bottas outlines Alfa Romeo target after impressive start

Alfa Romeo

Bottas outlines Alfa Romeo target after impressive start

Alfa Romeo has taken steps forward this year

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Friday 1 April 2022 16:25

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Valtteri Bottas believes Alfa Romeo must target being the "best of the rest" in F1's midfield after a promising start to the new season.

The Finn switched from constructors' champions Mercedes to Alfa Romeo over the winter and hit the ground running with a sixth-place finish in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Bottas then threatened to follow up on that result in Saudi Arabia before retiring from the race late on.

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But with two Q3 appearances under his belt, asked whether 'best of the rest' was an achievable goal for the rest of the year, Bottas replied: "That needs to be the target now.

"We were more or less in the same place as in Bahrain even though I thought Saudi Arabia would be more difficult.

“Aiming to be best of the rest is good motivation and a good target so hopefully, if we can eventually fight for fifth position in the race, that would be a good step for us.”

Bottas hopes start issues fixed for Australia

Bottas fell backwards at the start in Bahrain before reclaiming positions throughout the event due to a poor start.

Addressing his getaway at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Bottas explained: “It was okay. Maybe not the best start on the grid but it was an average start.

"There was still a tiny bit of oscillation in the start but nothing dramatic so I think we are starting to understand the issue.

“Hopefully by the time Australia comes around, we will have good starts.”