New lineup of former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and rookie Zhou Guayu hope to move Alfa Romeo up in the F1 standings.
And then there were 10.
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team on Sunday unveiled its C42 car for the 2022 F1 season, joining the other nine teams that launched their cars over the past two weeks. Alfa Romeo participated in the Feb. 23-25 full-field F1 test in a camouflaged car at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Alfa Romeo, which finished a ninth and among the F1 backmarkers in 20121, on Sunday also released images of its car from filming day.
The C42 is the first car produced by the Alfa Romeo team under the $140 million budget cap regulations for 2022 and for the newest era of Formula 1. It features the new ground-effect floor, updated aerodynamic package and 18-inch, low profile Pirelli tires. Ferrari once again is on board to supply the team’s power units.
“The 2022 championship promises to be the most compelling one in recent years,” said Jean Philippe Imparato, CEO at Alfa Romeo. “The new regulations, the new driver line-up and a brand-new car represent a veritable revolution for F1 and especially for the team. At Alfa Romeo, we are intent on grasping all the opportunities that will arise.”
The car will be piloted in 2022 by a new driver lineup. Valtteri Bottas, who has 10 wins in F1, moves to the team from F1 Constructors’ Champion Mercedes.
“I am impressed by our new car, the C42,” Bottas said. “It’s my first car at Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, of course, which makes it special, and I am really looking forward to being on the grid in Bahrain with it. What is exciting is that we have no idea how that first race is going to pan out.
“Testing helped us confirm our expectations of where we stand, the progress we have made with the car, but now we are getting closer to the moment that really matters. Since I joined, I have seen so much motivation within this team: everyone is pushing a lot, trying to work harder than the others to be competitive, and that in turn gives me that extra boost when I am in the cockpit.”
Bottas is joined by rookie Zhou Guayu, the first Formula 1 driver from China. Guayu finished third in the 2021 Formula 2 championship.
“I am fully pumped up for the season and seeing the C42 in the livery in which I will race it definitely makes it real. We are at the beginning of a new era, with new cars and new regulations, and this creates an opportunity for all teams to make progress since we are all starting from scratch.”
Keyword: First Images, Last F1 Launch of 2022: Alfa Romeo