Bottas compares Alfa Romeo to Mercedes and Red Bull

Valtteri Bottas sees that Alfa Romeo started down the right path last calendar year, but that the team are still far from where it wants to be. For the Finnish driver, however, his first year has shown where the improvements mainly lie.

Alfa Romeo has the advantage that Bottas was under contract to Mercedes for many years. It ensures that the driver brings a lot of experience with him and can point the team towards solutions. Next year, Bottas hopes to make big strides with Alfa Romeo in at least one area.

"For sure it is on the smaller side as a team in terms of the people if you compare it to Red Bull or Mercedes, but I know there will be progress made on that," Bottas told Racer. "Having a few more people and maybe a bit more money will make a difference."

Whereas Bottas amply proved himself with his qualities last season, things are different for Guanyu Zhou. As a newcomer to Formula 1, he struggled and scored far fewer points than his teammate. Due to his expiring contract, he will feel extra pressure on his shoulders in 2023.