Alfa Romeo conducts surprise C42 shakedown at Fiorano

The Alfa Romeo F1 team has announced that it conducted a surprise shakedown of its 2022 car – the C42 – at Fiorano on Tuesday.

The Swiss outfit will obviously take part in next week's three-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, but oddly it will officially present its car on February 27, or two days after F1's test in Spain.

Yesterday's first outing for the C42, which ran with a special camouflage livery, was a successful systems check according to Alfa, with new recruit Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel.

Read also: Zhou insists he's earned his place on F1 grid

Alfa team boss Fred Vasseur was in attendance at Fiorano, as were the Hinwil squad's technical director Jan Monchaux and F1 rookie Guanyu Zhou.

Alfa Romeo did not release any pictures of its new contender although it did include a couple of shots of its C42 in a post published on Instagram.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.