Top Performance Opens The Team’s Points Account

The point finally arrived, our first top ten finish of the season, and it took a strong, mature performance on the hallowed streets in Monaco to do so. We bring home a point after a weekend in which we put on display the significant progress we made and in which everyone in the team delivered what was asked of them. After a Saturday that produced the best qualifying of the season, with Antonio Giovinazzi starting in 10th and Kimi Räikkönen in 14th, Sunday showed the team’s progress is no fluke: race pace was there and there is even a little tinge of disappointment we couldn’t come home with more than Antonio and Kimi’s P10 and P11. On a different track, where overtaking is a possibility, two cars as far high as P8 and P9 would have been a definite possibility. To bring home points while thinking even more could have been had shows the hunger and determination of this team. It shows the confidence our performance gave us and the will to continue our string of good results. The duck has been broken and we want to continue scoring. Baku next. Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG: “It’s great to finally be off the mark and bring home the top ten finish we deserved. We have made great steps forward in the last year, and especially lately: the pace we have shown throughout the weekend demonstrates it. We had a car in Q3 for the first time and continued putting both in Q2; we had the pace to make progress and everyone, from the crew to the drivers and the pitwall, did a very fine job today. Our good race pace would have allowed us to finish even higher on any other track, but we can be very pleased with what we showed. It’s a big motivation boost for everyone in the team and can give us confidence to do even better in the next few races, starting in Baku.” Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7): Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C41 (Chassis 04/Ferrari) Race result: 11th Fastest lap: 1:14.971 (L55) Tyres: New Medium (43 laps) – New Hard (34 laps) “It wasn’t the busiest afternoon for me today, we moved up a few places but not much else happened. That’s how it often goes here. We showed some good pace and this should help us in the next races, but here in Monaco passing is so hard even if you have a big pace advantage. It is what it is but we can be happy for the team scoring its first point of the season.” Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99): Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C41 (Chassis 03/Ferrari) Race result: 10th Fastest lap: 1:15.331 (L41) Tyres: Used Soft (33 laps) – New Hard (44 laps) “It’s really good to finally be back in the points. The pace throughout the weekend was really good and this top-ten finish is the reward for it. On a different track, where overtaking is possible, we could have been in P8, but we need to be happy with this result and the way the team delivered an excellent weekend. We have done a lot of progress and this point will work as a good motivation for all of us, with so many races still ahead of us. I’m looking forward to Baku now, another street race on a track I love. If we produce another great weekend like this, we will have all it takes to bring home another good result.”]]>