Bottas doubts Alfa Romeo will finish in Bahrain

Alfa Romeo had shaky test weeks in Barcelona and Bahrain. At times, the car of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou was fast. But the car was anything but reliable. This gives cause for concern when thinking about the first Grand Prix, which is one week away.

In Barcelona, Alfa Romeo was sidelined because of a technical problem. In Bahrain more laps were completed, for example on the final day when 150 laps were clocked. But still it wasn't perfect. Far from it. For example, there were still issues, which made Bottas pull the car over towards the end of his session.

Speaking to Motorsport.com Bottas says he wonders if Alfa Romeo will make it to the finish line in the first race. Confidence is currently fragile for the Finn, who says he hopes the team will have identified and resolved all the problems by this weekend. He does not expect an answer before next Friday.

Yet Bottas says there are also bright spots. The former Mercedes driver says he gets a good feeling with the Alfa Romeo, which he calls a clear step forward compared to last season. Working on the balance of the car for next weekend is also necessary, but nevertheless Bottas says he is ready for a new season.