Alfa Romeo identify “massive debris” which ruined Bottas’ race

Alfa Romeo has confirmed Valtteri Bottas suffered a significant performance loss during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after striking debris soon after the start.

Bottas reported handling problems throughout Sunday’s race, made an extra pit stop for soft tyres near the end and was the last runner to finish, a lap behind.

At the end of the race Bottas told his team he “ran over some massive debris” at the start. “I felt that in my ass,” he added.

After the race he told reporters “there was something wrong,” with his car. “I suspect I ran over some debris on lap one.

“Since the beginning of the race, I just had no grip. So perhaps some damage in the diffuser or something.”

An Alfa Romeo spokesperson told RaceFans the team had confirmed Bottas’ suspicions were correct. The damage is believed to have seriously compromised the performance of his car.

Bottas wasn’t the only driver to be compromised by damage due to debris at the start of the race. Lando Norris also ran over a piece of bodywork, which had fallen off the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri, and had to pit for repairs.

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Selected Bottas team radio messages

Bottas’ race engineer Alex Chan called him in for a pit stop in the race but cancelled the call for him to come in at the last moment:

Lap: 6/50
Chan	Okay Valtteri, if we don’t make progress, we could consider going to hard. Piastri is just behind our ghost. Very quick on hard in free air.
Bottas	[Unclear
Chan	Repeat, repeat. We have to go this lap.
Bottas	I think box.
Chan	Box this lap.
Bottas	Hard.
Chan	Copy.
Chan	Correction, stay out, stay out, stay out.
Bottas	Copy.
Lap: 7/50
Chan	Okay Valtteri we’re back to Plan A.

Bottas reported handling problems throughout the race which led him to make a second pit stop after the Safety Car period:

Lap: 33/50
Chan	Compared to the cars ahead in cornering, we lose time on 16 exit and 23 exit. Try taking it easier on entries there.
Lap: 34/50
Chan	Suggest B-mid four for 16 and 22.
Lap: 35/50
Chan	Okay. There’ll be 15 laps to go next time around. We can consider the soft now.
Chan	Are you happy to go for the soft now, question?
Bottas	Should we wait? I don’t know if anything happens.
Chan	We can go now Valtteri. If there is a Safety Car later, we can stop again. Let’s go.
Bottas	Okay, box.
Chan	Box, box, front wing for softs, question.
Bottas	Keep the same, the rear is weak.

After taking the chequered flag in last place, Bottas said he was sure the car had taken damage early on:

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Lap: 42/50
Bottas	Is there any damage to the car?
Lap: 43/50
Chan	So far, no feedback. Stand by.
Bottas	There’s something, it’s not right.
Chan	Copy.
Bottas	It’s sliding everywhere
Chan	Is it getting worse, question?
Bottas	No [unclear].
Chan	Okay.
Lap: 44/50
Chan	Six laps to go, from the data we can’t see anything obvious
Lap: 50/50
Chan	Okay Valtteri that will be the chequered flag. You can go to mode end. I’m sorry about today. I know that was a very painful one but we’ll [unclear] go through the data and we’ll learn something today.
Bottas	Yeah copy. Something was wrong, for sure the whole weekend, but today especially. On lap one I ran over some massive debris, which I felt that in my ass, so there could be something there.
Chan	Okay, copy. We’ll do a good check of the floor tonight.

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2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

• “Total transparency” needed over Ben Sulayem allegations – Russell
• FIA president Ben Sulayem under investigation for interfering in F1 race – report
• Two races, no points: How 2023 compares to McLaren’s worst starts to a season
• Don’t complain about Red Bull dominating F1, they deserve it – Sainz
• Alfa Romeo identify “massive debris” which ruined Bottas’ race

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