Valtteri Bottas has backed his Alfa Romeo teammate Zhou Guanyu to shine in his second F1 season this 12 months.
Zhou Guanyu turned the primary Chinese language driver in F1 when he made the bounce from F2 in 2022 to take the place of Antonio Giovinazzi. He was paired with the skilled Valtteri Bottas, who left Mercedes after a five-year spell to fill the seat vacated by retired former world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
The Finn took on the position of mentor because the pair labored effectively in tandem to elevate Alfa Romeo to sixth within the Constructors’ Championship standings in 2022. Whereas Bottas did many of the heavy lifting within the factors division, his teammate completed within the factors on three events, together with his debut in Bahrain final 12 months.
Zhou Guanyu was additionally concerned in a death-defying crash at Silverstone however was in a position to emerge from the incident unscathed.
Heading into the season opener in Sakhir later this week, Valtteri Bottas believes Zhou Guanyo has grown and advanced as a driver. In an interview with Complete Motorsport, he mentioned:
“It’s been good to see his growth curve has been fairly steep from the start of final 12 months. He turned virtually like a special driver in a manner. [He’s become] way more assured in his driving, suggestions, racing, and qualifying, so he had an excellent rookie season general.
“He made only a few errors and obtained some factors as effectively. Little doubt he’s going to get far more factors this 12 months, and he’s going to be an excellent teammate to battle with for positive.”
Nevertheless, the first goal for the pair is to work as a staff and see if they’ll discover extra improved performances with the Alfa Romeo C43 this time round.
The 33-year-old went on so as to add:
“However the principle factor is we can work effectively collectively like final 12 months. So I’m trying ahead to it. I feel he has been confirmed all through final 12 months that he belongs in F1, and clearly, this 12 months is one other take a look at for the driving force. [But] I’ve no considerations, [he’ll] be fantastic.”
Valtteri Bottas aiming to return to the rostrum with Alfa Romeo in 2023
Valtteri Bottas is eager to return to the F1 podium once more in his second season with Alfa Romeo.
The Finnish driver had a profitable stint at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton earlier than transferring to Sauber final season. Whereas he loved a run of constructive outcomes initially of the season, the spotlight of which was a P5 end at Imola, the staff’s efficiency dipped because the marketing campaign continued.
Now in his second 12 months with the Zurich-based outfit, Valtteri Bottas is hoping to enhance his and the staff’s performances in 2023.
Whereas talking to Reuters in the course of the launch occasion of the Alfa Romeo C43, the 33-year-old mentioned:
“The purpose for this season is to complete greater than final 12 months and to be way more constant. Final 12 months we had too many ups and downs. Additionally, secretly, I all the time dream of ending on the rostrum, so let’s examine.”
Bottas has not been on the rostrum for the reason that 2021 F1 Saudi Arabian GP again when he was driving for Mercedes. It might be no imply feat if he had been to seek out his manner again there with Alfa Romeo this 12 months.
