Giovinazzi says puncture thwarted Dutch GP top 10 finish

Antonio Giovinazzi was unable to capitalize on his good performance in qualifying at Zandvoort, having been forced to undertake an extra stop in last Sunday's race due to a puncture.

The Alfa Romeo driver lined up an impressive seventh on the Dutch Grand Prix grid after achieving his best result in qualifying year-to-date and equaling his career best in Formula 1.

Giovinazzi took a cautious approach to the race's opening lap, nevertheless holding his own into the first corner. But a minor contact with Fernando Alonso on the exit of Turn 4 unsettled the Italian who was overtaken by both Alpine's drivers and McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo.

"We were in turn three and then on the straight and then I had touch with Fernando," said the Alfa driver. "That was it."

Giovinazzi settled into his race inside the top ten and was on course for a one-stop strategy, but six laps after his swap from the soft to the medium compound, he was forced back into the pitlane.

"We had a puncture on the rear-right, but we don’t know why," he explained.

"I think after that, the race was over because we’d done one stop more than the others and then it was just difficult."

• Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2021 Dutch GP

The 27-year-old, whose future with Alfa and in F1 is still up in the air, reckons a top-10 finish was on the cards without the setback which pushed him down the order.

"We were in the points at that moment," he said. "So tricky to say, but up until that moment, we were in the points.

"It had been a really good weekend until then but that bad luck during the race means we didn’t score any points.

"Now we focus fully on Monza, my home race. I’m looking forward to giving a good show to all the Tifosi."

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