Racing in the land of fire
Hinwil, 08 June 2022 – Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN heads to the shores of the Caspian Sea for round eight of the Formula One World Championship, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Baku Street Circuit is ready to welcome us all once again for what promises to be a thrilling race weekend, in which the team will aim to further extend its scoring streak.
After the last round in Monaco, we head to another temporary circuit in the streets of a city – but the track awaiting us this weekend cannot be further from that of the Principality. Racing in Baku is a whole different kettle of fish – it’s high-speed, high-drama excitement that rarely fails to deliver superb racing.
The circuit wending its way around the capital of Azerbaijan mixes fast straights with 90-degrees corners, creating overtaking opportunities that nearly always guarantee an action-packed race; the castle section is unique on the calendar and the final more-or-less-straight, at nearly 2.5km of length, has seen incredible drag races in the past as drivers scrambled to find the all-important slipstream.
For Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, this weekend’s race is another chance to show its worth. Both drivers know the track well, the car should be in a condition to express its full potential around this layout and the team is determined to return home with a good haul of points. It’s time for a job well done in Baku.
Team Quotes
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “We are heading to Baku with the aim to continue our team’s progression this season. We have done really well so far and we can be satisfied with the results we achieved, but we know we will need to keep working hard in every round to get the most out of each weekend. We saw in Monaco how the margins are really small: you can go from P6 to P16 in a blink of an eye. This is why we need to be really sharp and make the most of every session, of every lap. I do expect our car to suit this track but, then again, our C42 has been performing well in all kinds of circuit so far. The objectives remain similar to previous rounds – progress as much as possible with both cars in qualifying and aim to have both in the points come Sunday.”
Valtteri Bottas (Car 77): “Baku is a place with both good and bad memories for me, so I definitely hope to add some more of the pleasant kind this weekend. It’s crucial we can have a trouble-free weekend: we have been having some good results despite some Friday issues so far, and if we were to fix these, we could really see the full potential of our package. We know we can fight towards the front when we do it and it has to be the aim here as well. This is a track that can produce some chaotic races so we will need to be ready to make the most of any opportunity. It could be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
Zhou Guanyu (Car 24): “I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Baku is an enjoyable track that offers a lot of opportunities and I’m aiming for a clean, good weekend in which we can really show what we can do as a team. The potential we have is obvious and I can see I’m progressing more and more each weekend: now it’s a matter of putting everything together and getting the result we deserve. If we have a clean Friday and a good qualifying, we will be in the position to bring home a good result in the race.”