Vasseur: More double points for Alfa in Jeddah a 'realistic prospect'

Alfa Romeo team boss Frédéric Vasseur says scoring another double points finish in Jeddah this weekend is a "realistic prospect" for the Swiss outfit, providing its at the top of its game.

Alfa enjoyed a productive opening round of racing last weekend in Bahrain where Valtteri Bottas finished sixth and absolute beginner Guanyu Zhou clocked in P10, a result that delivered an aggregate nine championship points to the Hinwil squad.

The battle in F1's mid-field projects to be tight once again in Saudi Arabia, but Vasseur believes last weekend's performance will spur on his team in Jeddah and allow it to build on its opening result.

"Starting the season with two cars in the points is a great feeling, and to be back on track within a week allows us to channel this enthusiasm and momentum into hopefully another good result," said the Alfa boss in his team's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix preview.

"I was impressed, but not surprised, by how the team approached the weekend and by the level of confidence we had in our means: we know the whole team worked well during the year leading to this and we are eager to show the world what we can do.

"There is a clear feeling we have a competitive car and a determined pair of drivers, and this is boosting morale for everyone in the team.

"However, we are under no illusion about the challenge ahead: we saw how close the field is in Bahrain and how competitive qualifying and the race are.

"We know we need to be at the top of our game and deliver another good weekend: if we do that, having cars in the points is a realistic prospect."

• Read also: Zhou 'speechless' after maiden F1 race and top-ten finish

Bottas says he expects teams to continue to jockey for position in the midfield as updates are introduced.

But the Finn was certainly encouraged by his team's opening performance and the motivation of its crews.

"It’s still early days in the season and we expect the balance on track to shift backwards and forwards as teams bring updates, but we are not standing still either and we are determined to stay on top of this curve," he said.

"I see real motivation in the team and it was super to see the delight on the faces of everyone there.

"We are going in the right direction and Saudi Arabia will be another race in which we can fight for a good result."

As for Alfa's rookie, Guanyu Zhou's current priority is keep working hard to hone his skills in F1 and to build his experience.

"Every time I step into the cockpit is a chance to learn something new and to get more comfortable in the car," he said ahaed of his second F1 race.

"I know I have to keep working hard, not just because I know how competitive everyone around me is, but also because I demand the best of myself in every occasion.

"The Jeddah Corniche circuit is not new for me, as I raced there in F2 last year, but of course it will be a very different experience in this year’s F1 cars.

"The layout has changed but it remains an incredibly challenging track which requires 100% focus and punishes mistakes: still, it will be something incredible to tackle it with these cars."

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