Bottas reckons Alfa can fight 'most cars on the grid'

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Valtteri Bottas believes Alfa Romeo's new-generation C42 car can hold its own against a majority of its rivals, and the Finn intends to prove it this weekend in Melbourne.

Australia has become a country close to Bottas' heart as it's the motherland of his better half, Aussie pro-cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. So racing in Melbourne is almost a second home race for the ten-time Grand Prix winner.

"I love coming to Australia," Bottas admitted. "I have been spending quite a bit of time here lately, most recently over the winter break, as my partner is from South Australia, and it’s one of my favourite places, with so many things to see and do.

"For this and many other reasons, I am happy we get to race in Melbourne again: Albert Park is a very interesting circuit and the work done ahead of this year’s race, as well as the new-gen cars, should make the racing a lot more exciting."

The Finn scored a sixth-place finish with his new team in F1's opening round in Bahrain and looked set to achieve an even better result in Saudi Arabia when overheating issues forced him into a DNF.

Despite the setback, Bottas, who won the Australian Grand Prix in 2019 when F1 last made the long trek to Melbourne, is convinced that he can put some big points on the board at Albert Park if Alfa delivers a flawless performance.

Bottas: In a way 'nothing has changed' with Hamilton

"We are keen to show our pace here as we know we can fight most cars on the grid," said the Finn.

"We are confident we can bring home points but it’s important we do our job properly as we have seen how competitive the whole grid is."

Alfa team boss Fred Vasseur echoed his driver's claim that the Swiss outfit can fight among F1's top tier midfield contenders. But the Frenchman one ahin highlighted the importance of the development race that is set to unfold.

"Of course, we travel to Australia with the aim to get back to scoring ways," he said

"We know we can compete to be the towards the front but we also know how every race is an opportunity for all the teams to make another step forward.

"The development race will have a huge impact this year and we want to find out if the work we have done since Jeddah has paid dividends when it comes to the track."

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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.