Unexplained puncture cost Alfa Romeo Dutch GP F1 points finish - Giovinazzi

After starring with seventh in qualifying at Zandvoort, Giovinazzi hoped to bag his first points since Monaco.

The Italian dropped to tenth on the opening lap and shortly after his first pit stop, Alfa Romeo called him in again because of a puncture.

Speaking after the race, Giovinazzi said he doesn’t know how he picked up a puncture.

“We had a puncture on the rear-right, but we don’t know why,” he said. “I think after that, the race was over because we’d done one stop more than the others and then it was just difficult

“We were in the points at that moment. So tricky to say, but up until that moment, we were in the points.”

Giovinazzi was on the receiving end of one of Fernando Alonso’s stunning starts as the Spaniard gained two places on the opening lap.

Reflecting on the start of the race, he said: “I was trying [to defend the position]. It can be OK, it can not, but I tried at least.

“I don’t know to be honest if he had someone on the right but for sure, a bit too aggressive.”

The Italian says overtaking was difficult due to how hard it was to follow at Zandvoort.

“It’s difficult, especially to follow,” Giovinazzi explained. “Turns seven, eight, nine in high-speed was just terrible. No chance to overtake.

“To be honest already in F3 it was just so difficult to overtake in 2015. It’s just a difficult track to overtake.”