F1 Alfa Romeo target Las Vegas to close gap to rivals

Struggling to keep pace in the 2023 development race, the team introduced upgrades in recent races but faced stiff competition from AlphaTauri, whose 16-point haul over the last three race weekends widened the gap to Alfa Romeo by five points. 

As the F1 spectacle unfolds on the streets of Las Vegas, the low temperatures and newly laid, minimal-grip tarmac pose unique challenges, offering teams a strategic advantage. 

Alfa Romeo anticipates a "very difficult weekend" that could shuffle the order, and drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are set to exploit the unpredictable conditions. 

The team remains optimistic that the challenges of the Las Vegas Grand Prix will serve as a turning point, enabling them to outshine rivals and make significant strides in the constructors' championship standings.

"We've got a lot of question marks about this track," said engineering director Xevi Pujolar. 

"But with the situation that we're in at the moment, I think we need a big challenge on the engineering side and on the driver's side just to make sure that we've got an opportunity to change the championship order.

"The higher difficulty and everything being a bit uncertain, is I think where we get a better chance.

"We need Vegas to be a very difficult weekend for everyone and just make sure that we take advantage of it. That's our challenge now."

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