Bottas on track to 'definitely fight' for Q3

©AlfaRomeo

Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas says he can "definitely fight" for a spot in Q3 on Saturday evening in Bahrain based on the pace delivered by his C42 in FP2.

Bottas suffered a miserable start to his day on Friday, managing just two laps in FP1 due to an engine misfire that was traced to an electrical issue.

But a clean session in the evening allowed him to get down to work and achieve the seventh fastest time of FP, 1.015s adrift of pacesetter Max Verstappen.

The Finn was cautious as he assessed his performance given the unknown settings or engine modes of his rivals, but reckoned that making the Q3 cut this evening is possible.

"I would like to say where we are exactly, but the truth is, I don't know," he said. "It's close and you don't know how turned up different teams are.

"When we look at all the GPS data tonight, we will get some kind of understanding.

"But for me, the positive thing is it seems like we're not far off. And I honestly think if we can find improvements, we can definitely fight for top 10."

Read also: Hamilton admits Mercedes is facing 'much bigger problems'

Bottas enjoys a remarkable track record in qualifying, having made the Q3 cut on all of his 101 starts with his former team, Mercedes.

The Finn hopes that Alfa's reliability issues that undermined part of its running in pre-season testing are now behind the Swiss outfit.

"I hope these start to be the last issues we're finding. Time will show," he said.

"But absolutely, when the car works, especially on high fuel, it has a really nice balance and good to drive.

"Definitely potential is there and I don't think the lap times is far off as well.

"Even if you calculate how much somebody can improve, I think we're still looking into hopefully - if we find a bit more - to fight for the top 10.

"It will be nice to keep my streak going."

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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.