Alfa forced into Bottas chassis change at Imola

Jamie Woodhouse
Valtteri Bottas' Alfa Romeo being worked on. Imola April 2022

Alfa Romeo working on Valtteri Bottas' C42, changing the survival cell. Imola April 2022

Alfa Romeo have been forced into a chassis change for Valtteri Bottas due to heat damage caused by an exhaust problem.

The Finn did not feature in the second practice session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, having been forced to stop the Alfa Romeo during Friday qualifying in what is the first sprint weekend of 2022.

With no sign of Bottas coming out onto the track for FP2, Sky F1’s pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz went to investigate and explained the situation.

 

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“It is a continuation of yesterday’s problem,” he confirmed.

“So yesterday’s problem was that there was an exhaust problem, where effectively part of the exhaust got detached from the the power unit, started overheating the engine bay and then cooking the engine itself.

“Everything got slightly burnt and they told him to turn off the car.”

Kravitz then suggested that there must have been a “subsequent problem” because the power unit was back on the C42, but “none of the gearbox or rear suspension or rear assembly”.

It was since reported by Auto Motor und Sport’s Tobi Grüner that damage was caused to the gearbox, wiring loom and floor by the heat from this displaced exhaust.

And so, since it is a far from easy task to fit a new wiring loom in a chassis, the decision has been made to change Bottas’ chassis.

 

The chassis change was permitted by the FIA and Bottas will not pick up any penalties.