Fiat Chrysler may go all in with their partnership with Sauber and take over the team completely, it is reported.
Last week, it was revealed the Swiss team will be rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing for the upcoming season in a naming rights deal believed to be worth six million Euros.
However, beyond the financial gain, Auto Motor und Sport claims all the technical assistance the Hinwil-based operation receives solely comes from Ferrari, as part of closer ties with their engine supplier.
Now though, another German publication Auto Bild has claimed Fiat Chrysler, the parent company of both Alfa and Ferrari, could bring the full Sauber Motorsport entity under their ownership.
“We have learned that Fiat boss John Elkann also has a purchase option that can be used until the summer,” journalist Ralf Bach stated.
“One thing is certain: for Ferrari, the close cooperation with Alfa not only means more political power, but the Scuderia also benefits from a sporting perspective.”
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Should that be the case and Alfa Romeo does effectively become a works team, famous Italian designer Giampaolo Dallara believes it could start another successful era in F1 for the company.
“I believe that over the years, Alfa Romeo will be able to aspire to become a competitor of the great teams, escaping with time from the role as the so-called Ferrari junior team,” he told Autosprint.
“I do not see any negative aspect and therefore I am very curious to see the next steps.”