In a surprising turn of events, Alfa Romeo, the Swiss team, shocked the paddock by demonstrating exceptional speed throughout the qualifying rounds, culminating in Zhou Guanyu’s excellent performance that secured him the fifth spot.
Bottas, meanwhile, managed to place fourth in Q2 before eventually settling for seventh in Q3. He was only separated from his teammate by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Recently, Alfa Romeo has been consistently upgrading the C43, with a significant upgrade to the car’s floor package introduced at the British Grand Prix.
Although Bottas had anticipated that the car would perform better than it did at Silverstone—where neither Alfa Romeo driver made it past the first qualifying round—he confessed that the car’s leap up the grid was an unexpected delight.
“I had a feeling the car would perform better than it did at Silverstone this weekend,” Bottas shared. “But the actual improvement was beyond my expectations. We’ll gladly take it.
“We still need to understand and optimize the new package and setup, particularly the ride heights. But we were pleasantly surprised by how fast we were today. This track seems to enhance our car’s strengths.
“Additionally, our car is usually a bit draggy on straight lines, but the single straight line here minimized lap time loss. The car was also faster on the curvy parts.
“Everything has been going well for the team this weekend, with a clean run and the right setup direction. When we’re talking about tenths of a second between making it into Q3 or not, these details are crucial. It was truly a solid day.”
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / F1 Flow Images
Bottas began to sense the potential of the package in Hungary after Saturday’s FP3 session.
“I found myself in the 10th position after the third practice session, even without the qualifying engine mode,” he recalled. “That was when I knew we had a chance.
“So, I told Andreas [Seidl] just before qualifying that we would be in the top seven today. I must say, it was a rather accurate prediction. I regret not being able to place a bet on it—I could have made a decent amount of money!”
Bottas acknowledged that minute details could make all the difference: “If you merely glance at the results and not the lap times, it may seem like massive fluctuations.
“But if you look at the lap times, it’s clear that a successful weekend depends on getting everything right. Small changes can dramatically affect the positions.
“It’s an encouraging sight, and, in my opinion, it’s exactly how F1 should be. We’re pleased with the results today, although the same can’t be said for some other teams.”
Additional reporting by Matt Kew
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Alfa Romeo’s Performance at F1 Hungarian GP
How did Alfa Romeo perform at the F1 Hungarian GP?
Alfa Romeo surprised everyone, including their own team, with an exceptional performance at the F1 Hungarian GP. Both of their cars consistently demonstrated great speed during the qualifying rounds. Zhou Guanyu topped Q1 and eventually finished fifth, while Bottas placed as high as fourth in Q2 before settling for seventh in Q3.
What recent modifications were made to Alfa Romeo’s C43?
Alfa Romeo has been consistently upgrading the C43. A significant change was the introduction of a major floor package at the British Grand Prix.
Did Bottas expect the Alfa Romeo car to perform as it did?
Bottas expected the car to perform better than it had at Silverstone, where neither Alfa Romeo driver made it past the first qualifying round. However, the car’s leap up the grid surpassed his expectations.
What did Bottas say about the car’s performance on the track?
Bottas noted that the track seemed to enhance the car’s strengths, reducing lap time losses. He also mentioned that the car was faster on the twisty parts of the track, and the team had a clean weekend with the right setup direction.
What was Bottas’s prediction before the qualifying round at the F1 Hungarian GP?
Bottas predicted that they would be among the top seven in the qualifying round at the F1 Hungarian GP. This prediction turned out to be quite accurate.
More about Alfa Romeo’s Performance at F1 Hungarian GP
- Alfa Romeo Racing
- Valtteri Bottas Official Site
- F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Insights into F1 Car Upgrades
- Understanding F1 Qualifying Rounds
8 comments
Bottas is such a pro. Predicted top seven and bam! they got it. Great stuff from Alfa Romeo this weekend!
Alfa Romeo?? seriously? they were slower than a snail last season. Massive props to the team for turning it around!
Wow, did not see this coming from Alfa Romeo. Talk about a dark horse!
This season is absolutely bonkers! You just never know whats gonna happen next… thats why i love F1.
Bottas and Zhou doing wonders for the Alfa Romeo team. Kudos to their hard work!
I love this unpredictability! F1 is really heating up this season. Who’s next to surprise us?
Alfa’s comeback is crazy impressive! Can’t wait to see what they’ll pull off in the next GP.
Bottas – from Merc to Alfa Romeo and still making waves. the guy’s a legend!