Alfa Romeo and Sauber extends partnership for F1 2021
The Alfa Romeo name will continue to make its presence felt in the F1 World Championship for another year after a new deal was agreed to keep the brand involved with the Sauber F1 team.
The storied Italian marque returned to F1 in 2018 after an absence of more than 30 years in 2018 as part of a technical and commercial deal, one that began with it linking up with Sauber before it evolved into a full Alfa Romeo Racing rebrand.
With the initial three-year deal coming to a conclusion at the end of the 2020 F1 season, Alfa Romeo and Sauber have agreed to extend this by a further season in 2021.
To celebrate, Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen’s cars will run a one-off livery emblazoned with the Italian flag on the top of the roll-hoop and rear-wing endplates for this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the first F1 race to be held at Imola for 14 years.
While the team still competes under Sauber’s Swiss flag, Alfa Romeo says the partnership between the two parties extends beyond its activities in F1, with Sauber Engineering manufacturing carbon components of the premium Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm, such as the front bumper, side skirts and diffusers.
“Racing and performance are at the core of Alfa Romeo’s DNA,” says Mike Manley, CEO of parent company FCA. “The brand was practically born on a racetrack and today we continue to compete at the most technologically advanced level of motorsport. The partnership with Sauber Group also allows our customers to benefit from exclusive racing know-how, as it is the case of the all-new Giulia GTA and GTAm, which incorporate Sauber Engineering’s technical input particularly as it relates to advanced aerodynamics.”
Alfa Romeo is one of only two teams yet to confirm either of its drivers for the 2021 F1 season, together with Haas.
Much is expected to hinge on whether Raikkonen will continue to race next season, with Mick Schumacher expected to replace either him or Giovinazzi.
The team has a best finish of fourth place - the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix - in its current guise.
