Formula 1 driver and member of exclusive ‘Club 33’ Valtteri Bottas tests the limits of the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Valtteri Bottas, Formula 1 driver and customer of the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, spent an intense and engaging day with the Alfa Romeo engineering team at the Balocco Proving Ground (Vercelli province), testing the “00 prototype” of the new custom-built supercar.

Following the test session, Bottas said, “The opportunity to test the 33 Stradale was a very special moment. I hope my feedback can be useful to the experienced Alfa Romeo development team for the final tuning. Configuring my personal car with the ‘bottega Alfa Romeo’ was engaging and exciting, and testing it today was really exciting. All I have to do is wait for my 33 Stradale to be ready!

“I am extremely satisfied with the testing. Today’s experience is close to perfection, which for me means total symbiosis with the car. The car immediately puts you at ease: extremely responsive, precise. The feeling with the car is immediate, extremely easy and fun to understand, and you certainly don’t need to be an F1 driver to experience it. In addition, its sound envelops the passenger compartment and is unmistakably Alfa Romeo.”

The venue for the event was the Alfa Romeo track at the Balocco Proving Ground in Vercelli province, the iconic track that has hosted the development and preparation of high-performance racing cars (Autodelta) since 1962, including F1, DTM and Super Turismo competitions.

Alfa Romeo engineers managed the entire test session by subjecting the Finnish driver to specific medium- and high-speed tests, with a focus on balance, braking system and road handling. On the other hand, the dynamic goal of the project from the outset was extremely ambitious; namely, to offer the best driving experience in the category.

The test session began with a reconnaissance lap aboard the Giulia GTAm to give Bottas the opportunity to familiarize himself with the configuration of the Alfa Romeo track surface. It is worth a mention that the Finnish driver last year purchased one of the 500 models of the Giulia GTAm, the high-performance sedan featuring the extensive adoption of ultra-light materials and the powerful 2.9-liter 540-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 engine. Officially a member of the Alfa Romeo family, Bottas has now also become a member of the selective “Club 33,” one of 33 owners of the exclusive Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar. 

The F1 driver then got behind the wheel of the 33 Stradale, which he described as an intuitive, immediately understandable car. The first test was conducted at moderate speed, giving him the opportunity to evaluate the precision of the steering system and the response of the braking system, as well as the balanced handling imparted by the aluminum H-frame, carbon-fiber monocoque and active suspension. Plus, as everything is designed and aimed at the utmost human-machine involvement, Bottas particularly appreciated the minimalism of the interior, which never distracted him from the driving experience.

At a later stage, Bottas gradually increased the vehicle’s speed to test its behavior in more extreme conditions. The 33 Stradale is fitted with an eight-speed DCT gearbox, rear-wheel drive, electronic limited-slip differential and 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine with more than 620 horsepower. An evolution of the V-6 already featured in the Italian brand’s highest-performance cars, the new engine is mounted longitudinally in the center and enables the car to reach a top speed of 207 mph, accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in under three seconds.

Two driving modes are available, which can be activated from the switches on the central tunnel: Strada (Road) and Pista (Track). The former ensures comfort and driving pleasure: smooth power delivery, standard pedal sensitivity, soft suspension, fluid transmission and active exhaust valves open only above 5,000 rpm. Alternatively, in Pista mode, the driver chooses an adrenaline-fueled experience: the power is at its peak, the pedals are even more responsive, the suspension is firm, the DCT offers rapid gearshifts and the active exhaust valves are always open.

In the final stage of the test, Bottas tackled the Balocco track by selecting Pista mode, in which the 33 Stradale expresses its full potential. One of the most exciting performance controls in this configuration is the Partenza Veloce (Quick Start) procedure: by pressing the Quadrifoglio button on the central tunnel, it activates the gearbox, traction control and engine to maximize acceleration by avoiding wheel slippage.

On some sections of the circuit, the F1 diver disengaged traction control (ESC OFF), taking the car close to its top speed to confirm that the 33 Stradale manages to combine supercar performance with surprising ease of driving, even for non-professional drivers. All this is made even more evocative by the sound of the twin-turbo V-6, an authentic ‘mechanical symphony’ that wraps around the passenger compartment and conveys unique emotions with every acceleration.

The active suspension system also played a key role in the test conducted by the Finnish driver, offering a perfect combination of comfort and performance. Specifically, the new custom-built car adopts a 100% Alfa Romeo dual-arm suspension scheme with active shock absorbers and semi-virtual steering on both the front and rear axles, which provides optimum control of the steering wheel and the highest degree of steering precision, as well as providing great lateral acceleration to ensure the best handling in all driving conditions.

Finally, Bottas praised the precision and capacity of the brakes to adapt to different driving modes, ensuring excellent control of the vehicle at all times. For example, the new 33 Stradale brakes from 62 to 0 mph in less than 108 feet, made possible by the built-in Alfa Romeo Brake-By-Wire braking system, which controls braking pressure and ensures stability in the feeling of the pedal. Produced by Brembo for Alfa Romeo, the carbon-ceramic brakes guarantee high performance and ensure reactive braking with reduced fading effect at high temperatures. In the front and rear, the discs are ventilated and perforated, with a six-piston monobloc caliper in the front and a four-piston system in the rear.