Antonio Giovinazzi is happy with his performance this season but says it is still not enough for Alfa Romeo.
It looks like 2021 could be the Italian’s final season in Formula 1, with his team apparently replacing him with Formula 2 driver Guanyu Zhou.
He’s shown promising insights this year and is comfortably better than his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying, but he struggled to carry this form into the races and only scored one point ahead of the Finn’s six points.
The 27-year-old is happy with the overall progress made but admits that this is not enough to keep his spot for the next season.
“I am honestly happy,” he said as.com before the Russian Grand Prix, where he again failed to score points while his team-mate secured P8.
“I have improved one step compared to last year. I’m happy with myself, but it’s still not enough. “
Even if he makes it into the top 10 before the end of the year, he doesn’t think that would guarantee his future in sport.
“The only thing I can do is do the same thing I’ve done in the last two races, try to score and we’ll see,” he added.
“Unfortunately, that’s not my decision. I can be quick and get good results, but from then on I can’t do anything else. “
It is official. Next year I’ll be a Mercedes F1 driver. This is a special day for me and I would like to say a big thank you to @WilliamsRacing, @ MercedesAMGF1 and everyone who helped me get where I am today. Without each and every one of you, I wouldn’t have made it. pic.twitter.com/MmGA1vr9mR
– George Russell (@ GeorgeRussell63) September 7, 2021
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Before Giovinazzi entered Formula 1 as a test driver in 2017, he was considered one of the most talented young drivers ever.
Just two years earlier, he had finished second in the Formula 3 championship ahead of the likes of Charles Leclerc and George Russell.
Those two will be racing for two top teams in the form of Ferrari and Mercedes next year while he may not be driving at all.
He attributes this to a timing issue.
“Ultimately, you have to be in the right place at the right time,” said the Italian.
“Sport is like that, we don’t know what can happen in five years.”
The fight in midfield and often in the back of the field makes it difficult for him to show his potential, he says.
“Not ideal,” he stated.
“When the car’s position is like this, it’s very difficult to suddenly fight for fifth place.
“I will give one hundred percent, my maximum, and if it is not enough, there is nothing I can do.”
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