Andretti’s interests in Formula 1 were once on everyone’s lips. Although the American team did not make it into the series in the end, there were talks with Alfa Romeo. Differences in management ultimately lead to the failure of the deal; Fred Vasseur, the team’s CEO, explained how the driver line-up announcement was slowed down.
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Alfa Romeo was the only team that kept the driver market open. Since there was only one place left for the 2022 line-up, everyone was waiting for the team’s announcement. On the other hand, however, was the excitement that Andretti presented.
Formula 1 F1 – Qatar Grand Prix – Losail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar – November 21, 2021 Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi in action REUTERS / Thaier Al-Sudani
Fred Vasseur commented in a recent interview. “It’s no secret that the company has been in talks with some investors and that wouldn’t have been a major change, but it could have been a new situation and we postponed the decision a bit.”
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When news broke that the deal had failed, neither Mario Andretti nor Vasseur gave too much information; What we do know is that the power dynamic just wasn’t right. In this mess, Vasseur explains why the announcement was late. “But shortly after the talks with this potential investor were over, we picked it up again. We wouldn’t have postponed it until the last Formula 2 event. We have been to Spa, Monza and Sochi. Then there were discussions with the investor and as a result we pushed the whole thing forward in a week. “
A new line-up for Alfa Romeo in 2022
Regardless of the drama involved, Valtteri Bottas’ pairing with Guanyu Zhou is exciting. Bottas has remarkable Mercedes experience. After racing with the best team in the series, it doesn’t seem like the best move to Alfa Romeo. However, the tabula rasa of 2022 would give Finn a balanced playing field.
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Formula 1 F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, USA – October 22, 2021 Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes in the pits during practice REUTERS / Mike Blake
With their second driver, the Swiss team is going the opposite way. By giving second place to a rookie, Guanyu Zhou is giving the team a new perspective. Fresh out of Formula 2, the Chinese brings a lot of promises for the team. Zhou showed immense talent and speed on his way to the premier class; his time in the big league is sure to be no different.
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However, this also means that F1 only has two races left with Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi. The drivers were an integral part of the sport and it would be heartbreaking to see them go. In a paradoxical situation, Alfa Romeo still has two laps to finish the season strong and then all eyes are on 2022.
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The post Alfa Romeo F1 boss reveals how Andretti talks affected the decision to line up drivers in 2022 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
