12 jul. 2020

FIA Formula One Pirelli Grosser Preis der Steiermark 2020 – Race – Sunday

Weather: sunny, 20.6-20.7°C air, 40.7-35.6°C track

FIA Formula One Pirelli Grosser Preis der Steiermark 2020 – Race – Sunday

If battling performances brought home points, we’d have quite a few to show for this second week of action at the Red Bull Ring. Both Kimi and Antonio put in good performances in a good car, displays that in other occasions would have produced a top ten finish. However, this was not one of those days, and a combination of starting positions that didn’t truly reflect the pace of the car and circumstances during the race conspired to leave us outside the points.
We leave Austria with a lot of positives: a better understanding of our new C39; the confidence of being able to fight for top ten finishes in most races and to be in the thick of things come Sunday; and, most importantly, two points to our name to kick-start our campaign.
We will take this knowledge and this feeling to Hungary, where the action resumes next weekend. A different track, a different challenge… but the same spirit to take it on.
 
 
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG: “We got so close to the points but in the end we couldn’t clinch that all-important tenth place. It’s disappointing to leave empty handed, but we definitely have a lot of positives to take with us. Our pace was an improvement and we could fight on track with cars that used to be ahead of us. Starting from the back after yesterday’s qualifying put us on the back foot and so did the time Kimi lost having to avoid the Ferrari crash, but that we could recover to nearly claim another top ten was a sign of things going in the right direction. We will need to carry this momentum to Hungary next week.”
 
Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
Race result: 11th
Fastest lap: 1:08.382
Tyres: New Medium (44 laps) – New Soft (26 laps)
 
“We actually had a pretty decent car today and our pace was definitely a step forward, so it’s a bit frustrating not to be able to fight for the points. I lost a lot of time at the start, having to avoid the crash between the two Ferraris. I had to nearly stop, the car went into anti-stall and I couldn’t get it out. In the end, I managed to recover into a good position but I had to save fuel in the last 20 laps so I couldn’t push to catch Kvyat. On pure speed, I feel we could have got to the points but we fell a bit short. We get another chance next week so hopefully we will have a better end result then.”
 
Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)
Race result: 14th
Fastest lap: 1:08.512
Tyres: New Medium (39 laps) – New Soft (31 laps)
 
“It’s been a bit of a tough weekend but after yesterday it was always going to be hard to salvage a point. I had a good first lap and made up a few places, but in the end we couldn’t make it up to the top ten. We can still be happy to be leaving Austria with two points in the bag; I am looking forward to racing on a different track next weekend. Hungary is very different from Spielberg, the layout requires a lot of downforce and it’s less about straight-line speed, so we will need to focus on trying new things to extract the most from our car.”

 

Media contact:

Alfa Romeo Brand

Andrea Pallard 
+39 011.0030675        
andrea.pallard@fcagroup.com

 

Alessandro Nardizzi
+39 011.0037727        
alessandro.nardizzi@fcagroup.com

 

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN

press@sauber-group.com

 

Will Ponissi
+41 79 591 57 85
william.ponissi@sauber-group.com

 

Katharina Rees
+41 79 757 52 85
katharina.rees@sauber-group.com

 

About Alfa Romeo brand:

Since its founding in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to designing automobiles.
In every Alfa Romeo, technology and passion converge to produce a true work of art - every detail essential, every design the perfect harmony between beauty and purpose, engineering and emotion. Fully reviving Alfa Romeo's spirit and maximizing its global appeal has been one of FCA's priorities. Following a clear and well-defined strategy, Alfa Romeo is writing a new chapter in its more than century-long history that represents an extraordinary opportunity to realize the brand's full potential. Today, Alfa Romeo is a true showcase of the Group's best resources, talent and technological know-how. First with the Giulia, and more recently with the Stelvio, Alfa Romeo has created two models that capture the pure and original spirit of the brand - that instantly recognizable thoroughbred character. These models are testament to Alfa Romeo's La meccanica delle emozioni spirit and quintessential examples of what people have come to expect from this prestigious brand.

 

About Sauber Group of Companies:

The Sauber Group of Companies is composed of three operational entities: Sauber Motorsport AG, which operates and manages the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Formula One team; Sauber Engineering AG, which focuses on prototype development and additive manufacturing; and Sauber Aerodynamik AG, which conducts full and model-scale testing in the factory’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and creates ground-breaking innovations in the field of aerodynamics. The companies collaborate closely and share know-how to apply the expertise of more than 500 dedicated individuals at the headquarter in Hinwil, Switzerland, to all internal and external projects. Since its founding in 1970, the passion for racing has been at the heart of Sauber.
For the last 50 years, the innovative Swiss company has been setting standards in the design, development and construction of race cars for various championship series, such as Formula One, DTM, and WEC. Following its own Formula One debut in 1993, Sauber Motorsport AG has established one of the few traditional and privately held teams in the sport. After 25 years of competition in Formula One, the company launched a long-term partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2018 and enters the 2020 championship under the new team name Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.

 

Andet indhold