Antonio Giovinazzi admits he feared his Formula 1 opportunity had gone after a difficult two races with Sauber at the start of 2017.
The Italian, who’ll race full-time for the renamed Alfa Romeo Racing team this season, deputised for Pascal Wehrlein in Australia and China after he injured his neck at the Race of Champions.
Having achieved a solid 12th in Melbourne, damp conditions in Shanghai caught out Giovinazzi as he crashed in both qualifying and the race.
“I knew very well that the chances of being in F1 were very few and for the first time I felt I had missed the opportunity,” he told Autosport.
“I was not happy with myself, I could have shown much more. For two years I have tried to repay those who have continued to trust me by working to the best of my ability.
“I was on the ‘bench’, getting better and better, and I’m happy today to see that the job has paid off.”
However, the Ferrari-backed 25-year-old knows having now got back to F1, he has to stay there.
“I am also aware that the role of Alfa Romeo Racing driver is a point of arrival but above all, a starting point,” he said. “I’ll have to show on the track to deserve this opportunity.”
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The impression Giovinazzi makes will largely depend on how he shapes up against his Alfa Romeo teammate and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
“I’m lucky to have Kimi as a teammate, and it will be a great benchmark,” he declared, revealing he has more contact with Finn in recent months than he has the past two years despite both being at Ferrari.
“There is still no data on the potential of the new car, but beyond that, in my case, it will be important to confirm a growth race after race.”