
via Imago
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 Team, after the race during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Cristiano Barni/ATPImages)

via Imago
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 Team, after the race during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Cristiano Barni/ATPImages)
Valtteri Bottas is one of the fresh new faces at Alfa Romeo this season. The Finnish driver made the switch from Mercedes after his contract expired at the end of the 2021 season. The Switzerland-based team will be looking towards Bottas to help with the development of their 2022 car.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
He may not have had the greatest of seasons in 2021. However, Bottas looks to start a new chapter in his career and hopes to taste similar success as he did at his former team.
Alfa a new lease of life for Bottas?
Bottas has been somewhat associated with the silver arrows since his days as a Williams-Mercedes driver. This move to Alfa Romeo means he has finally gone separate ways from the Mercedes family.

via Getty
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 12: Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP waves during the on the way to the grid for End Of Year F1 Drivers’ Photograph during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Bottas will partner with F1 rookie Guanyu Zhou in his first season for Alfa. This means that the Finn will now be the top dog in his new team, which will massively boost his confidence. Not that Bottas is missing any in that department.
Read More: Valtteri Bottas Reveals His “Secret” F1 Goals With Alfa Romeo in 2022
During the recent Alfa Romeo C-42 launch Bottas said “I absolutely feel I have so much to give to this sport… It truly feels like now I can be the best version of myself, instead of being something else or trying too hard”.
Watch This Story: Toto Wolff swears Bottas bares and other funny moments from Drive to Survive
This fresh start is possibly just what the 10-time Grand Prix winner needed in his career at this point.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Tough luck for Alfa Romeo in Barcelona
The F1 pre-testing in Barcelona could not have gone worse for the Swiss outfit. They suffered from reliability issues limiting their running to just 175 laps in the 3 days.

via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – February 25, 2022 Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
They also suffered from a major porpoising issue that hindered the drivers’ experience in their new machinery.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Read More: What is Porpoising & Why are the 2022 F1 Cars Triggering This Aggressive Phenomenon?
With the season opener in Bahrain fast approaching, they will have to find a fix for their issues. Otherwise, they risk falling farther down the grid this season.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT