2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix highlights

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN went close to the points in a chaotic 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, with a top-ten finish only slipping out of reach in the race’s closing stages.

Zhou Guanyu, starting from P18 after a power unit penalty, made a good recovery with a brave race and an aggressive strategy; he climbed as high as tenth before a late surge by cars on fresher tyres saw him finish in 13^th place. Team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, survived early contact with Sergio Perez and ran into the points when his race ended with a spin.

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77)

We were looking solid for points, so it was disappointing to finish my race early. At the start, I was going into Turn Nine on the opening lap and saw Perez diving in at the very end: it was very close, and I had to go wide, losing momentum and a couple of places, but luckily we just touched. I passed Albon and settled into a rhythm, but when I was trying to close the gap to Gasly to get into DRS range, I made a mistake in Turn 19 and lost the rear end. I later found out that, at the same time, there was quite a big gust of wind, so a combination of that and pushing too hard put an end to my race. It was regrettable, as our pace was promising, and a point finish could’ve been possible today. I’m looking forward to turning the tide next week in Mexico and bringing home some points.

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24)

We knew today was always going to be difficult, starting from the back: we tried to make something happen, but, towards the end, holding off drivers who were mounting newer tyres compared to ours became almost impossible. We tried to stay out, hoping for something to happen that would favour us, but eventually, it didn’t quite work out. Overall, it’s been quite a tricky day for the team, but at least we go again next week in Mexico: as a positive, we showed good performances on the track. For sure, the upgrades we brought here helped a lot, we’ve been so much stronger, especially in a one-lap pace, and we saw both cars had the pace to get into Q3.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal

It’s been quite a difficult day for the team, and it feels like a big opportunity to score points missed. The race held a lot of promise, as we were starting in a good position with Valtteri, and both drivers seemed really at ease with the car. We suffered early on, as the contact between Valtteri and Perez meant we dropped places and got caught into a battle we wouldn’t have been in, and when Valtteri retired, we knew we’d have a massive job ahead of us to bring home some points. Zhou did really well, starting from 18: he kept out of trouble on a day that caught out many, and the race plan helped him make up ground. In the end, however, that was not enough to bring home the points he would have deserved. It feels like an opportunity that got away from us, but the day’s silver lining is that we’re still in sixth place in the championship. We know we’ll need to fight tooth and nail in the final races to secure this position, but we can rely on our updated package to hopefully be able to score the points we need for this important objective.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team best pictures:

77 BOTTAS Valtteri (fin), Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42, action during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

Romeo Santos Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, ambiance during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

24 ZHOU Guanyu (chi), Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42, action during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

BOTTAS Valtteri (fin), Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42, portrait during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

77 BOTTAS Valtteri (fin), Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42, action during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

ZHOU Guanyu (chi), Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42, portrait during the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

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