Valtteri Bottas: “I have a feeling there's a lot more to come, both from the car and myself”

Valtteri Bottas missed the opening gratis practice session at the Circuit Paul Ricard every bit Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN gave examination driver Robert Kubica a run, but the Finn was able to get into a rhythm quickly when he got out on rails in the second session.

Bottas completed twenty-seven laps on Friday afternoon and placed 12th in the fastest times, but he knows the squad will need to discover some more step if they want to be at the front of the extra-tight midfield pack this weekend.

Even so, he has high hopes and believes in his squad, and feels they can perform well in Sat'due south Qualifying session before fighting for points on Sun.

"Stepping into the auto at the outset of FP2, information technology took me a few laps to go into the rhythm but I had a adept feeling with the car directly abroad," said Bottas."The midfield seems even closer than usual, and I have a feeling there's a lot more to come, both from the car and myself.

"I am looking forward to qualifying: I recall we have a skilful take chances of doing well."

"The management nosotros need to have for tomorrow is clear" – Zhou Guanyu

Squad-mate Zhou Guanyu had a smooth day in the second Alfa Romeo, ending eleventh fastest in the morning session and seventeenth in the second every bit he adapted to the runway in a Formula 1 car for the commencement time.

Zhou feels the squad have made progress since the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago, and even though the midfield pack is once again extremely tight, he believes he has what it takes to fight through Qualifying and become into the top ten.

"It has been quite a shine twenty-four hours for me; we went through the whole program we had set out to achieve without issues," said Zhou."Information technology was very hot out in that location, very tricky in terms of managing the tyres, but it'due south the same for everyone and the key will exist to observe the best manner to prepare the car up.

"FP1 has been very skilful and I was very comfortable, while in FP2, where we tried something unlike on the two cars, I personally struggled a piffling bit: all the same, I reckon the direction we need to take for tomorrow is clear, then I am looking forwards to qualifying.

"Looking at our performances today, I remember nosotros await stronger than in Austria, so it'south a good step up, just and so again it is once again super tight in the midfield boxing, and tyres will make the departure: it volition exist all about getting laps together in qualifying and trying to avoid getting into traffic.

"Tomorrow will be a challenge and Lord's day will be too, given the heat and the temperature, simply I tin can't wait to put myself in the game."

Zhou Guanyu felt he had a smoothen Friday in France – Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd

"It's been a busy session on my side of the garage" – Robert Kubica

Exam driver Kubica had a decorated morning session as he participated in his second FP1 of the season, and he admitted it was tough conditions thanks to the rut at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

Kubica says the C42-Ferrari felt much dissimilar to compared to when he last collection the car, which he believed was down to the heat, and he hopes the information he was able to get together will help the squad motility forward across the rest of the weekend.

"Information technology's been a busy session on my side of the garage: we had quite a lot of boxes to tick in these 60 minutes, from rake runs for data at the showtime of the session to a tight schedule of runs afterward in the hour," said Kubica.

"Information technology was definitely warm out at that place and not the easiest conditions: still, it is e'er dainty to bulldoze a Formula 1 motorcar and aid the team with learning the set-up for the track.

"The feeling with the motorcar was quite dissimilar from my previous outings, perhaps because of the estrus: it will be interesting to go through the data with the engineers and understand amend what we encountered, to make the auto better for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend."