The prestigious brand of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group (FCA) today signed a multi-year technical and commercial partnership with the Swiss Sauber F1 Team starting from the 2018 Formula 1 season. Alfa Romeo returns to Formula 1 after an absence of more than 30 years.
The livery of the single-seaters will be characterised by the unmistakable Alfa colours and by the brand's mark as Title Sponsor. The single-seaters will be powered by the Ferrari 2018 Power Units. The agreement also provides for strategic, commercial and technological cooperation in all possible areas of development, including through the sharing of engineers and specialised technical staff from Alfa Romeo. The partnership forms the basis for further opportunities for the two companies in Formula 1 and for the automotive sector in general. The team will be called Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. “The agreement with Sauber F1 Team,” explained Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, “is a significant step in the rebuilding of the Alfa Romeo brand which, by returning to Formula 1 after an absence from racing of more than 30 years, gives back to the championship one of the brands that made the history of this sport, joining other important car companies that take part in Formula 1. Moreover, the brand itself will be able to benefit from the technical and strategic exchange with a partner of undisputed experience such as Sauber F1 Team, and the engineers and technicians of Alfa Romeo, who have already proven their abilities with the design of the new Giulia and Stelvio models, will be able to further broaden their experience by bringing to the Sauber F1 Team technical skills of absolute cutting edge. At the same time, all Alfa Romeo enthusiasts will once again be able to cheer for a carmaker determined to write a new chapter in its unique and legendary sporting history.” Pascal Picci, President of Sauber Holding AG, declared: “We are very happy to welcome Alfa Romeo to Sauber F1 Team. Alfa Romeo has a long history of success in the Grands Prix and we are proud that a company of Alfa Romeo's international calibre has chosen to work with us for its return to the top motor racing championship. Working closely with a car company represents a great opportunity for the Sauber Group to further develop its own technological and engineering projects. We are at the start of what we are certain will be a lasting and successful partnership, confident that by working together we will be able to lead Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team to achieve prestigious goals.”
The return of Alfa Romeo gives back to the whole of F1 one of the brands that made the history of the top motor racing championship and will bring to the track not only a great tradition but above all will make a significant contribution to the development of the competition in terms of sport, technology and the involvement of the many fans of the brand, not to mention the impact of the investment in terms of technology transfer and road safety from which the brand will be able to benefit. Alfa Romeo is synonymous with racing and technological prestige all over the world. Undisputed queen of the pre-war Grand Prix (in 1925 the GP Tipo P2 had dominated the first World Championship), Alfa Romeo took part in Formula 1 from 1950 to 1988, both as a constructor and as an engine supplier. Right from its debut in 1950 and in 1951, Alfa Romeo won the first drivers' world championship with Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio. From 1961 to 1979 Alfa Romeo participated as an engine supplier for various F1 teams. After returning in 1979 as a constructor, Alfa Romeo finished in sixth place, its best result, in the constructors' championship in 1983. The company subsequently withdrew from Formula 1 in 1985 as a team and today, after more than 30 years, it wants to return with a leading role. Alfa Romeo and FCA. Alfa Romeo is a historic brand of the FCA Group. Since its founding in 1910 in Milan, Alfa Romeo has designed and built some of the most elegant and exclusive cars in the history of the automobile. This tradition still lives on today thanks to the unique and innovative approach that Alfa Romeo continues to adopt in the design of cars. In every Alfa Romeo, technology and passion converge to create an authentic work of art: every detail is essential, every design is the perfect harmony between beauty and function, between mechanics and emotion. Giving new life to the Alfa Romeo spirit and enhancing its international appeal was one of the FCA Group's priority objectives. Following a precise and well-defined strategy, the brand is writing a new chapter of a history that has lasted more than a century and has before it an extraordinary opportunity to fully realise its potential.
Today Alfa Romeo is an authentic showcase of the Group's best resources, talents and technical skills. First with the Giulia, and more recently with the Stelvio, Alfa Romeo has created two models that fully capture the original spirit and distinctive character of the brand. These models are the tangible expression of what the mechanics of emotions is and the perfect example of what is expected from such a prestigious brand. Alfa Romeo is winning the hearts of a new generation and is taking back the place that rightfully belongs to it as one of the most desired premium brands in the world.
