03/04/2021
NEWS STORY
Despite failing to score points in the season opener, Alfa Romeo boss, Frederic Vasseur is confident that the team is back in the midfield fight.
Having been caught in the netherworld that exists between the back of the midfield and the Haas/Williams battle, Alfa Romeo headed into the new season with understandable confidence.
A new power unit from Ferrari coupled with a significant step forward in terms of the car, saw Alfa Romeo come away from pre-season testing looking good.
Other than completing the most laps (422) - along with AlphaTauri - the team posted the fourth fastest time of the test, a 1:29.766 posted by veteran Kimi Raikkonen on his mammoth final day in Bahrain.
While the time was posted on the softest (C5) compound and fuel loads were not known, the pace was still there two weeks later when both drivers made it through to Q2.
Though both drivers ran in the points during the race, a poor final stop from Antonio Giovinazzi and the fact that there were few retirements meant that the Alfa pair finished just outside the points in 11th and 12th.
Nonetheless, the team's performance throughout the weekend, coming off the back of a successful pre-season, causes Frederic Vasseur to believe that the team is now in a position to join the midfield fight.
"(It) gave us a strong indication of the progress we have made in the last twelve months," said the Frenchman. "We raced with authority, leaving the Alpines and an Aston Martin behind us and finishing on the tail of the other Aston.
"Even though we leave Bahrain with no points, we do so having reclaimed our place in the midst of the midfield," he continued, "and results will surely come soon.
"We demonstrated to be the able to fight in and around the top ten and we can look with optimism to the rest of the season.
"It was an eventful race," he added, "even though the low attrition rate - just two retirements - meant we had our work cut out when aiming for a place in the points.
"We take a lot of positives, however, knowing we can go to the next race in Imola, in two weeks, ready to battle again for a place in the top ten."