Alfa heads to Miami with 'growing sense of confidence'

©AlfaRomeo

Valtteri Bottas says Alfa Romeo's confidence has ramped up on the back of his results, and especially after the Finn's strong P5 finish last time out at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Swiss outfit taken good advantage of F1's new technical regulations to turn around its fortunes, with the team scoring in the first four races of 2022 more points than in its last two season put together.

As a consequence, Alfa's confidence level is trending higher.

©AlfaRomeo

"We arrive in Miami knowing we can have another good weekend," said Bottas in the Hinwil squad's Miami Grand Prix preview.

"We scored points in every race we finished so far and we want to continue this strong moment.

"There is a growing sense of confidence in the team, we know we can do well on every track and it’s in our hands to go out there and deliver the goods."

Read also: Bottas expects some 'really good overtaking' in Miami

Alfa team boss Fred Vasseur echoed Bottas' comments, and added that his team's performance at Imola proved that its form this year is "not a fluke".

"We approach this race in a strong position and with a confident mood," said Vasseur.

"We showed in Imola, where we fought for the highest positions, that our form from the beginning of the season was not a fluke."

©AlfaRomeo

While Vasseur believes that Alfa Romeo can continue to improve, the Frenchman is keeping his expectations in check given the tightness of F1's ultra-competitive midfield.

"We are actually improving with every round, and we are in a situation in which we can reap the rewards of our work, but we cannot get carried away," added the Alfa boss.

"The whole field is still very compressed and a minor swing in performance, be it track-related or due to upgrades, can mean the balance can shift significantly.

"That’s why we have to keep working hard to extract everything from our package: we know we can score big in every race, but execution needs to be flawless if we want to beat our rivals."

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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.