Alfa Romeo has signed a new multi-year partnership deal with Sauber to continue in Formula 1 for the new era.
The Italian brand first teamed up with the Swiss team back in 2018 before taking full naming rights the following year, but results have been disappointing with two eighth-place finishes in the Constructors’ Championship in 2019 and 2020.
Alfa Romeo finds themselves P8 again in this year’s standings but it is the promise of the future and F1’s new regulations in 2022 that has enticed the company to continue.
“We are delighted to be announcing the extension of this partnership,” team boss Fred Vasseur commented.
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“Alfa Romeo has been an incredible companion over the last few years, and we are even more excited about the chapters that are yet to come.
“The new regulations are giving us the chance to make another step forward and I firmly believe we are perfectly placed to make big gains together.
“We are looking forward to our future together and to keep moving towards the front of the grid.
“This relationship is also very important for our company as a whole, beyond the track,” Vasseur noted.
“The work we have done in the automotive world has shown the extent of the technology and manufacturing skills of Sauber Engineering and we are confident we can continue working for Alfa Romeo on new and exciting projects that will shape the future of the car industry.”
While Alfa has committed to a multi-year deal, it does come with “yearly assessments” of the situation both in and out of F1, and that was evident in the statement from CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.
“As an historic Italian automotive company, Alfa Romeo was born on the racetrack, and today we are proud to continue honouring that racing DNA by placing it at the heart of the future of our brand,” he said.
“We are driven by passion and excellence. Formula 1 represents a cutting-edge laboratory for the future electrification of our range, fully coherent with our vision for the coming years. Furthermore, motorsport brings the incomparable global exposure we wish to leverage for a successful future.”
Currently, Alfa Romeo has Italian Antonio Giovinazzi and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen leading their charge in the midfield.
But both drivers are understood to have competition to keep their places for 2022.