After a very eventful (and not good) Qatar Grand Prix, some drivers were very happy with their performance, including Guanyu Zhou, who started the race in 19th place and managed to finish 10th initially.
However, in a race where conditions were off the charts (extreme weather, track limits, safety measures due to tyre concerns), Zhou managed to reach ninth place after Sergio Perez was penalised for the third time for exceeding track limits.
Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas managed to finish eighth, which resulted in both Alfa Romeo drivers finishing in the points for the first time this season.
Thanks to a lap 1 collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell that brought the Safety Car out, Zhou was in twelfth place by lap four as plenty of cars pitted behind it, and just eight laps later he would be in the points in tenth place. He consistently ran in them throughout the day, running as high as P4 at one point.
Prior to this weekend, the Chinese driver had only scored points on two occasions, so to do so in such difficult conditions was very special for him: “It’s an amazing end to a difficult start to the weekend. It’s rewarding for everyone here and at the factory. To start P19, last on the grid, and to finish in the points on pace alone was very special.”
Photo by: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake
The 24-year-old added that he spent most of the race in the points and was very happy that both drivers in the team scored: “For me, we did everything right, the pace was really fast. I think I was in the top 10 [almost] the whole race, so we got to where we needed to be, and I’m really happy to finally get a points double for the team.”
For his part, Valtteri Bottas said he was pleased with the results despite the tough race they faced. The 10-time Grand Prix winner pitted behind the Safety Car on lap 3 and took full advantage of the strong pace Alfa Romeo had to take P8 after a clever three-stop strategy.
“I’m very happy, of course. Double points for us as a team is great. For me to get four points is very rewarding, but also for the whole team, so I’m happy.”
The Finnish driver also assured that they have learned a lot about the improvements on the car and mentioned to be happy that the Hinwil-based team is in a better place than it was before: “I think we have learned a lot about the upgrades and now we are starting to get more out of it. Of course, maybe the track favoured us a bit, but at least we seem to be a bit stronger than in previous races and I’m happy about that.”
The Nastola native was quick to point out that the driving conditions at Losail were very extreme:“It was hot. The air temperature, the humidity, you just don’t cool down. It really felt like being in a sauna, there are still some drivers laying on the ground after, so I hope everyone is OK.”
Heading into the US GP, the Swiss team sits eighth in the constructors’ championship, seven points behind Williams and four points ahead of Haas.
