2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - a Preview

On home turf

Hinwil, 21 April 2022 – Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN heads to familiar ground for the fourth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, to be held in Imola this weekend. Hot on the heels of a points finish in Melbourne, the team is seeking further success in one of its home races, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Imola is one of the sacred circuits of this sport. It’s a historical place that has seen some of the most memorable pages of racing written – for good and sad reasons. But it is also a race that embodies Italian passion and, as such, it’s the perfect place for a team carrying the legendary logo of Alfa Romeo.

From the Biscione – the iconic snake that has been the brand’s emblem since its inception – to the Italian flag proudly displayed on the C42’s rear wing, many elements make Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN feel at home in Imola. And when racing at home, doing well is even more important.

We approach Imola with confidence: three cars in the points in the first three races give the team the confidence to ask for more, to continue the positive streak. The mood is high, the team is ready – it’s time to make our home advantage count.

Team Quotes

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “Imola is a very important race for our season: it is, obviously, one of our home races and an event of great relevance for Alfa Romeo, so we are particularly keen to do well here. It is also the first European race of the season, and with it comes the first chance to bring some significant updates to the car. We have a new package making its debut here, updates to the floor, and we are confident they can help us make another step forward: at the same time, we know everyone else is developing and it will be interesting to see how the pecking order looks like when we hit the track – especially with the sprint qualifying format reducing practice times. It’s going to be a thrilling weekend and I am looking forward to us delivering a spirited performance in front of the incredible Imola crowd.”

Valtteri Bottas (Car 77): “There’s definitely a great feeling within the team: when you know you get into every race weekend knowing you can fight at the front of the midfield and be in the mix for some big points, it’s a powerful dynamic and it just fills everyone with confidence. We saw in Australia we can be really competitive and we have what it takes to be just behind the leading cars: but we also saw how small all margins are and how every detail – qualifying preparation, the timing of a Safety Car – can have a big impact on the final result. That’s why we have to be fully focused and execute every step of the weekend to our best. Imola is a big chance for us: it’s an exciting track, somewhere we can battle, especially with these cars, and I am confident we can be up for a good result. I can’t wait to be on track and show what we can do in one of the team’s home races.”

Zhou Guanyu (Car 24): “I am really looking forward to this weekend’s race in Imola. This is one of the historical venues of Formula One and I am really excited about seeing this place full of passionate fans. I think the weekend is going to be spectacular and to tackle some of these corners in a Formula One car will be an incredible experience. I have only raced here in F3, so it’s not a completely new track for me, but of course doing it in the C42 will be an interesting process. It’s also my first sprint qualifying weekend, so I’ll need to get up to speed quickly in FP1, but I am not worried: we are well prepared and we will be ready. I had a solid start to the season and I’m proud of the work we have done so far, but I want more and I keep working hard with the team to get more and more forward in every race. I feel we are making some real progress and I am confident we will have another chance to fight for Q3 and a place in the top 10 here in Imola.”