SPA, BELGIUM - AUGUST 24: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on August 24, 2017 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Today, in a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, Alfa Romeo revealed their challenger for the upcoming F1 season. Not only was the C41 on display, but also their three drivers – Kimi Raikkonen, Antonio Giovinazzi, and the reserve, Robert Kubica present on the stage.
With minimal testing these days, drivers rarely get the chance to get in the cockpit and take the car to the track before the official season begins. Hence, Kimi wasn’t sure what their car was going to offer when the host asked him to analyze the expectations ahead of the upcoming season.
“First of all, it’s nice to obviously see the new car. And yeah, we are very in an area of the unknown; there’s some rule change and how it’s gonna impact everybody and where we are gonna be,” replied Raikkonen.
“Hopefully, we are better off than last year and we’ll get some idea in testing in a couple of weeks’ time. And then in one month’s time, at the first race, we will really know where we are. But yeah, we will do our best wherever we end up to be.”
The Former Ferrari driver told no lies here. Generally, you get an indication of where you stand amongst the competition after the first round, if not the winter testing.
The Swiss outfit did not have a good outing last season. They finished at a distant eighth place in the Constructor’s standings, ahead of Williams and Haas. Though they will hope to have better fortunes this time around after the small but significant changes they have made to the car.
They have made a conscious effort to rebuild the nose of the car which can give them more aerodynamic stability. Plus, it helps that their engine manufacturers, Ferrari, are coming up with a revolutionary power unit.
Overall, this should be music to Kimi’s and Antonio’s ears. The Alfa Romeo team can contend for a berth in the midfield this time around. At least, in theory, they can. Come to the season-opener in Bahrain, we may get a clearer picture of this.
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