The Alfa Romeo team's disappointment at finishing seventh in Miami last weekend is a sign of the Swiss outfit's progress this season says team boss Fred Vasseur.
Valtteri Bottas was on track in Florida to deliver a second consecutive fifth-place finish to Alfa when a mistake by the Finn just ten laps from the checkered saw him overhauled by both his Mercedes rivals.
It was a disappointing setback for team and driver, but Alfa's level of performance this season is a far cry from the depressed results that marked its last few seasons in F1.
©AlfaRomeo
"It shows how much progress we have made this year that we’re actually a bit disappointed with P7 – which is a really good result in itself," said Vasseur.
"We were really strong out there and we ran most of the race comfortably in P5, just behind the two Red Bulls and Ferraris.
"The timing of the Safety Car really affected us, nullifying Valtteri’s advantage over the two Mercedes.
"Still, bringing home six points is a positive result and another gain for our championship standings, but we know we can improve even more."
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Save for a water leak on Guanyu Zhou's engine that sidelined the latter after just six laps, Vasseur believes that both his drivers could have racked up points in Miami.
"It was disappointing to lose Zhou early in the race with a water leak, as we feel he would have also been in the battle for some points," added the Frenchman.
"We will need to address the issue that stopped him and make sure we come back stronger on this point, too.
"The direction we are headed, however, is clear and it’s positive. We know we can be competitive every weekend and we aim to keep fighting to achieve more success in the next rounds."
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