Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas’ F1 weekend in Miami started briskly when the Finn drove towards the track right in the first rehearsals.
Alfa Romeo’s number one driver in the F1 stable Valtteri Bottas vehemently acknowledged his mistakes in the Miami GP practice of the fifth race of the World Series. The car slipped out of Bottas ’jumps, and the first exercise ended in a breakage in the back of the car.
The exhaust system and turbocharger from Bottas’ car broke down, and they were not repaired for the second rehearsals on Friday.
– A nasty mistake happened to me. Annoying, but now you just have to make the most of Saturday’s workout before the time trial, Bottas commented on the rush.
– I was lucky that the bottom of the car was the same and no new parts had been put in it yet. A turbo breakdown delayed repairing the car the most.
Bottas said he enjoyed Miami’s new track, but it was capricious at first. During Friday, the speed of the cars improved as the track was cleared and rubber from the tires of the F1 cars grabbed the asphalt.
– The track is good, albeit challenging on the winding section of the rear. The track clearly improved as the rehearsals progressed, so I had quite a lot to catch on as I had to figure out the limits of tire grip in the final rehearsal, Bottas continued.
The race will see overtaking
During Friday’s rehearsals, there were quite a few spins on the track. According to Bottas, it was because of the new track. Grip deteriorated unpredictably outside the best driving line.
– I think the grip of the tires will improve quite a lot by the time trial and race. In the first exercises, bends 12 and 15 in particular were hard to hit.
His Chinese teammate Guanyu Zhoun pace Bottas concluded that Alfa Romeo managed to adjust the car better during the first rehearsals. However, the track requires a compromise in car adjustments.
– The track is not easy to adjust. On the other hand, the race should become good, as the track has combinations of slow bends and long straights that should have good overtaking opportunities. I believe that the above can be followed closely in slow bends.
Bottas is eighth in the F1 World Championships after four races. He finished fifth in the previous race of the series in Imola.
The third practice of the Miami GP will be run today from 8 pm to 9 pm Finnish time. The time trial starts at 23:00.