Alfa Romeo announces multi-year extension with Sauber
Alfa Romeo and Sauber Motorsport have confirmed that they will continue to join forces as the Swiss team and the historical Italian brand announce an extension period of their partnership in a multi-year agreement with yearly assessments.
The renewal of this relationship represents a new exciting chapter in the long and prestigious motorsport history for two brands with an impressive racing heritage that includes success in Formula One, sportscars and touring cars, among others.
The partnership has set ambitious objectives for progressive improvement year on year, and will allow the two parties to develop their vision for the future in a stable environment, enabling Sauber Motorsport and Alfa Romeo to work on growing their success both on and off the track.
Alfa Romeo Racing’s Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur commented: “We are delighted to be announcing the extension of this partnership. Alfa Romeo have 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 keeping moving towards the front of the grid.
„This relationship is also very important for our company as a whole, beyond the track: 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,” Vasseur concluded.
Since its return to the sport in 2018, moving from the back of the grid to the midfield on track, developing new exciting driving talent such as Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi and bringing onboard an iconic name such as Kimi Räikkönen, has allowed the team to turn into one of the outfits with the biggest potential.
The significant regulation changes Formula One will undergo in 2022 constitute an opportunity for the team to make a substantial step forward, given the lean and agile set up and the new budget cap environment which began in 2021.
The extension of the partnership between Sauber Motorsport and Alfa Romeo shows the desire of both parties to continuing moving up the grid together, with a fully integrated setup, with the aim of creating an exciting future for both team and brand.
Alfa Romeo is now writing its future and designing its long-term plan. With a very distinctive and inspiring Italian heritage, the Brand will remain true to its roots even through the paradigm shift that electrification represents. The pleasure of the driver and passion will remain at the center, but electrification will give the Brand the opportunity to redesign sustainable performance.
"The brand’s presence in Motorsport, and in particular in F1, will continue to play a key role in the future, always interpreted with a feeling of Italian noble sportiness, the Alfa Romeo DNA from 1910. F1 is the ultimate laboratory of change, and therefore a key territory for Alfa Romeo on its path-to-electrification, with its pioneering Hybrid Strategy, sustainable technology and endless pursuit of efficiency. On top of that, it is a crucial global marketing platform.
"The partnership with Sauber Technologies, and its very specific technical know-how, is a fantastic asset driving developments that Alfa Romeo will continue to transfer to production cars and special projects. This setting has already proved that the benefits of this partnership are well beyond the confines of the racing circuits: the know-how and skills acquired by Sauber in more than 50 years at the highest levels of motorsport have been already applied in recent projects, such as the development of the Giulia GTA and GTAm, the latest sedans by Alfa Romeo," read the team's statement.
Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO Alfa Romeo: “As an historic Italian automotive brand, Alfa Romeo was born on the racetrack. Today we are proud to continue honoring that racing DNA by placing it at heart of the future of our Brand.
„We are driven by passion and excellence. Formula One 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.”
